Medical and Surgical Management
What to master
This domain covers the medical and surgical context surrounding rehabilitation: common conditions, pharmacological effects relevant to therapy, surgical procedures and their precautions, and recognition of red flags. Know typical postoperative protocols and the rationale behind weight-bearing, range-of-motion, and immobilization restrictions. Understand anticoagulation, corticosteroid effects on tissue, and analgesia masking protective pain.
Traps questions use
Questions frequently test contraindicated versus precautionary activity after surgery, or ask which finding warrants stopping treatment and referring. Be alert to scenarios where a patient on anticoagulants has fall risk, or where a steroid injection temporarily reduces pain but increases tissue fragility. Another common trap is assuming a protocol timeline is fixed when the question implies individualized progression based on healing and surgeon instruction.
Worked rule of thumb
When a scenario includes a new or worsening symptom that does not fit the mechanical picture - night pain, unexplained weight loss, fever, progressive neurological deficit, or calf pain with swelling - treat it as a red flag and refer rather than treat. Rule of thumb: if the finding would change medical management, it belongs in a referral, not a progression decision.