Patient Selection & Contraindications Flashcards
7 cards from real CLT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Patient Selection & Contraindications flashcards as text
A patient with active tuberculosis of the skin (lupus vulgaris) requests laser therapy. What is the correct clinical decision?
Answer: Laser therapy is contraindicated over active TB skin lesions
Active infectious skin conditions including cutaneous tuberculosis are a contraindication because laser energy may spread the infection or worsen tissue damage.
Why is direct laser application over a malignant tumor considered an absolute contraindication?
Answer: Laser energy may stimulate cellular proliferation and promote tumor growth
Laser's biostimulatory effects on cellular metabolism raise concern that it may promote growth or metastasis of malignant cells.
A patient with insulin-dependent diabetes wants laser therapy for a foot wound. What is the primary safety consideration?
Answer: Altered sensation and circulation increase risk of undetected tissue damage
Diabetic patients may have peripheral neuropathy and impaired circulation, reducing their ability to sense overheating and increasing the risk of burns.
When treating a patient with hemophilia, what contraindication principle applies?
Answer: High-power laser settings may trigger uncontrolled bleeding due to vasodilation
High-power laser can cause vasodilation and increase local blood flow, which may trigger or worsen bleeding episodes in patients with clotting disorders.
A patient is taking tetracycline for an infection. Why is this relevant to laser therapy?
Answer: Tetracycline is a photosensitizing antibiotic that increases adverse skin reactions
Tetracycline and other photosensitizing antibiotics increase skin sensitivity to light, raising the risk of burns, rashes, or other adverse effects during laser therapy.
A patient has a fresh (3-day-old) surgical incision near the intended treatment area. What is the appropriate action?
Answer: Apply laser directly to promote faster healing
Low-level laser applied directly to fresh surgical incisions can support healing by reducing inflammation and stimulating tissue repair, and is not contraindicated.
Which of the following is a relative contraindication, requiring therapist judgment rather than an absolute treatment ban?
Answer: Mild osteoporosis in a non-treatment area
Mild osteoporosis in an area away from the treatment site is a relative contraindication requiring clinical judgment, unlike the absolute contraindications of pregnancy, cancer, and photosensitive epilepsy.