Differences Between Acute and Chronic Cases in Primary Care

Primary care serves as the first point of entry of a patient to the healthcare system. It
is at the primary care level that a patient’s health problem is identified. Correct identification
of a patient’s health condition helps to ensure that they receive appropriate and individualized
treatment. Given the importance of correct identification of a patient’s problem in patient
outcomes, it is important for nurses to distinguish between acute and chronic cases.

Acute and chronic cases are differentiated based on factors such as the recovery
period, the ease of diagnosis and treatment, the number of body systems that are affected by
the condition, the resources needed to care for or treat the condition, and the number of
causes. With regards to recovery period, acute cases usually take a short time before the
patient returns to their normal health. Once a diagnosis is made, the patient is subjected to a
given course of treatment. The patient experiences recovery at the end of their treatment
course. The period between diagnosis, treatment, and recovery can be as short as a day or as
long as a few years.

The situation is different for chronic conditions. Unlike acute illnesses which are
short-term, chronic conditions are usually long-term. Unlike acute cases which emerge
suddenly, chronic cases emerge and develop slowly (Cowan, 2019). Once the condition has
been diagnosed and the patient put on treatment or management plan, it may take a long time
before the patient recovers. Often, patients with chronic cases have to live with the condition
throughout their lives (Reynolds et al., 2018). The goal of treatment for chronic cases is
usually to help the patient live a normal life through management of their symptoms rather
than treating their condition.

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Another difference between acute and chronic conditions is the number of causes of
the condition or case. In acute cases, the cause is usually one. For instance, acute pain may be
caused by injury and malaria is caused by parasites. For chronic conditions, the causes are
often many (Hadjiliadis, Harron & Zieve, 2020). The causes could be genetic, environmental,
or lifestyle choices. For instance, the causes of diabetes can be genetic or unhealthy eating
habits. The different factors that contribute to chronic illnesses make it difficult to treat.

Apart from number of causes, acute and chronic conditions can also be differentiated
by the bodily areas that they affect. Acute conditions are usually isolated to one body area
(Hadjiliadis, Harron & Zieve, 2020). The area could be a limb, stomach, or eye. Chronic
illnesses usually affect multiple body areas. For instance, a chronic condition such as diabetes
may affect the kidneys, the legs, and even the eyes.

The two conditions also differ in terms of the amount of care and resources that are
needed in their treatment and management. Generally, acute conditions require fewer
resources to treat (Newkirk, 2016). The care can also be provided by one healthcare
practitioner. Unlike acute illnesses, chronic illnesses require a lot of resources to care for the
patient. This could be because the care takes longer time and also requires different
specialists because the condition affects different parts of the body.

The differences between acute and chronic conditions are many. They are range from
causes of the conditions, duration between onset of treatment and recovery, cost of treatment
or management of the condition, and the number of body parts that are affected by the
condition. Proper identification of a patient’s condition helps to ensure that they receive
effective and individualized care.

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References

Cowan, L. (2019, November). Chronic disease epidemiology. In APHA’s 2019 Annual
Meeting and Expo (Nov. 2-Nov. 6). American Public Health Association.

Hadjiliadis, D., Harron, P., Zieve, D. (2020). Acute vs. chronic conditions. U.S. National
Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/18126.htm

Newkirk, C. (2016). What is the Difference Between Acute and Chronic Illness? Michigan
State University.

Reynolds, R., Dennis, S., Hasan, I., Slewa, J., Chen, W., Tian, D. & Zwar, N. (2018). A
systematic review of chronic disease management interventions in primary care. BMC
family practice, 19(1), 11.