Medical Day   care  centres  are  medical   centre  where  treatment is  available  through  out the  day  and the  patient   is  allowed  to  go  home  for  the  night.   There  are  many  treatments  which  may  require   only a few hours  stay  for the treatment .such patients  need  not  be admitted to a  hospital  ,instead   be  treated in a  day care unit  which  is  more than  a  mere  OPD  clinic  but at the  same  time  not  a  hospital.

Advantage of a day care  unit  are

1. patient  need  not be  hospitalized
2. over night  stay  is  avoided.  Most  of the  patient  are   not  comfortable  with overnight stay in the hospital. The are  happy  if  they  are   home , even late in the  night. It is  also  true that in  nuclear  families, the   domestic  routine  is  less disturbed  if the  patient is  home  at  night.
3. It  is more economical.

Limitations :

One  should  understand that there are  limitations  in day care

And  not all  cases  can be treated  in a day care 

Cases  that  can be  treated  in a day care and  admission  avoided  are

1)  mild  to moderate dehydration  because  of   gastroenteritis,  vomiting, etc

2)  typhoid :   IV antibiotics  can be  administered  for 2 -3  days  along with iv   fluids.         

      Result  is  better and  faster  with iv antibiotics.

3)  jaundice:  patient  with  nausea  and  vomiting  in first few days of  jaundice  can be  supported with iv fluids  

4) uncomplicated  malaria  can  be treated  with  iv fluids  and   injectable antimalarials

5) asthamatics  can  be  administered  broncodialators, nebulised, given oxygen and  observed

6)iv  fluids  can  be administered  in  convalasence period  when the  appetite  is low  and  patient feels  weak.

7)most  of the  skin  procedure like  mole  removal , nail removal, warts  &corn removal   etc  can be  done in a  day care

8)  most  of the cosmetic  surgical  procedures  are  done at day care centre

9)minor   surgeries  like  sebaceous cyst, ear  lobe repair  can  be done 

With  advances  in  instrumentation  and technology  the  day is not far  when most  of the surgical procedures   will be done  in day care  centres.

How  is  it  different  from a clinic?

Doctor is  around  most  of the  time as the centre is an extension of  the  doctors  clinic

Day  care centre has  trained  nurses  to look  after  the patient  .

There are  hospital  like beds  for  comfort.

A  minor  operation  theatre for  procedures.

Toilet  facilities

How  is  it  different  from a  hospital?

There  is  not  much  difference, a  day  care  can  be  called a primary  hospital  where there is no  facilty  for overnight stay  and  so  very  serious  type of  patient  who  may  require  more than a days  treatment  will not  be  fit  for  treatment  at  the  centre.

A  day care  can be positioned  in between  a  clinic  and  a hospital.

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