ESSENTIAL Q&A REVIEW FOR PT 636 — PT
MANAGEMENT & INTERPRETATION OF LAB VALUES
IN MULTI-SYSTEM DISORDERS
Q: According to the APTA, what are the professional responsibilities of a physical
therapist regarding laboratory values?
A: PTs are expected to:
Interpret available lab values relevant to patient care
Recommend appropriate lab testing when clinically indicated
Use lab data to guide safe and effective treatment decisions and modify
interventions as needed
Q: How should lab values be integrated into physical therapy practice?
A: Lab values should complement, not replace, a comprehensive patient evaluation
and clinical reasoning.
Q: What should PTs understand about basic lab tests and normative values?
A: PTs must:
Recognize standard reference values for healthy adults
Consider how age, comorbidities, biological sex, gender, and gender identity
influence lab ranges
Know absolute and relative thresholds for activity or treatment modifications
Follow institutional and professional guidelines
Avoid using abnormal labs as an automatic excuse to withhold treatment—
consider the whole clinical picture
,Fluid Imbalances
Q: What happens when the body has too little or too much extracellular fluid?
A: The patient experiences a fluid imbalance, which can significantly affect
cardiovascular stability and exercise tolerance.
Q: What are common contributors to fluid imbalances?
A:Acute or chronic disease processes
Trauma or burns
Aging (impaired thirst or renal function)
Medications such as diuretics or steroids
Surgical procedures
Poor diet
Inadequate oral intake
Hypovolemia (Fluid Volume Deficit)
Q: What characterizes hypovolemia?
A:Reduced total body fluid volume
Insufficient intake or excessive fluid loss
Causes include vomiting, diarrhea, blood or plasma loss, burns, uncontrolled
diabetes mellitus or insipidus, and heavy sweating
,Q: What clinical signs suggest hypovolemia?
A:Low blood pressure or orthostatic hypotension
Tachycardia
Weakness or dizziness
Increased thirst
Cool, pale skin
Confusion or altered mental status
Muscle cramps
Poor skin turgor
Hypervolemia (Fluid Volume Excess)
Q: What is hypervolemia?
A: A condition in which the body retains excess fluid, often leading to edema and
cardiopulmonary strain.
Q: What conditions lead to hypervolemia?
A:High fluid intake (IV therapy, transfusions)
Decreased urine output
Sodium and water retention
Use of corticosteroids
Heart failure
Cirrhosis
Renal insufficiency
, Hyperaldosteronism
Low dietary protein
Q: What are common clinical manifestations of hypervolemia?
A:Shortness of breath
Hypertension
Peripheral edema
Lung crackles
Tachycardia
Bounding pulse
Rapid weight gain
PT Implications for Fluid Imbalances
Q: What should PTs monitor or modify when working with patients with fluid
imbalance?
A:Vital signs before, during, and after activity
Symptoms during exercise (fatigue, dizziness, SOB)
Adjust intensity, duration, and environmental temperature
Track daily weight changes
Inspect for edema
Protect skin integrity
MANAGEMENT & INTERPRETATION OF LAB VALUES
IN MULTI-SYSTEM DISORDERS
Q: According to the APTA, what are the professional responsibilities of a physical
therapist regarding laboratory values?
A: PTs are expected to:
Interpret available lab values relevant to patient care
Recommend appropriate lab testing when clinically indicated
Use lab data to guide safe and effective treatment decisions and modify
interventions as needed
Q: How should lab values be integrated into physical therapy practice?
A: Lab values should complement, not replace, a comprehensive patient evaluation
and clinical reasoning.
Q: What should PTs understand about basic lab tests and normative values?
A: PTs must:
Recognize standard reference values for healthy adults
Consider how age, comorbidities, biological sex, gender, and gender identity
influence lab ranges
Know absolute and relative thresholds for activity or treatment modifications
Follow institutional and professional guidelines
Avoid using abnormal labs as an automatic excuse to withhold treatment—
consider the whole clinical picture
,Fluid Imbalances
Q: What happens when the body has too little or too much extracellular fluid?
A: The patient experiences a fluid imbalance, which can significantly affect
cardiovascular stability and exercise tolerance.
Q: What are common contributors to fluid imbalances?
A:Acute or chronic disease processes
Trauma or burns
Aging (impaired thirst or renal function)
Medications such as diuretics or steroids
Surgical procedures
Poor diet
Inadequate oral intake
Hypovolemia (Fluid Volume Deficit)
Q: What characterizes hypovolemia?
A:Reduced total body fluid volume
Insufficient intake or excessive fluid loss
Causes include vomiting, diarrhea, blood or plasma loss, burns, uncontrolled
diabetes mellitus or insipidus, and heavy sweating
,Q: What clinical signs suggest hypovolemia?
A:Low blood pressure or orthostatic hypotension
Tachycardia
Weakness or dizziness
Increased thirst
Cool, pale skin
Confusion or altered mental status
Muscle cramps
Poor skin turgor
Hypervolemia (Fluid Volume Excess)
Q: What is hypervolemia?
A: A condition in which the body retains excess fluid, often leading to edema and
cardiopulmonary strain.
Q: What conditions lead to hypervolemia?
A:High fluid intake (IV therapy, transfusions)
Decreased urine output
Sodium and water retention
Use of corticosteroids
Heart failure
Cirrhosis
Renal insufficiency
, Hyperaldosteronism
Low dietary protein
Q: What are common clinical manifestations of hypervolemia?
A:Shortness of breath
Hypertension
Peripheral edema
Lung crackles
Tachycardia
Bounding pulse
Rapid weight gain
PT Implications for Fluid Imbalances
Q: What should PTs monitor or modify when working with patients with fluid
imbalance?
A:Vital signs before, during, and after activity
Symptoms during exercise (fatigue, dizziness, SOB)
Adjust intensity, duration, and environmental temperature
Track daily weight changes
Inspect for edema
Protect skin integrity
