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Based on: Life After
Injury, 2002
By Liz Hobbs, Susan McDonough and Ann O’Callaghan
Third World Network, Malaysia
ISBN: 983-9747-77-0
Citation:
Rone-Adams, S. Book Review of “Life After Injury” by Liz Hobbs,
Susan McDonough and Ann O’Callaghan. The Internet Journal of Allied
Health Sciences and Practice.
April 2004.Vol. 2 Num. 2.
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Key words and
terms:
rehabilitation, physical and psycho-social trauma, patient and
caregiver education |
This book is written by a physical
therapist and two occupational therapists with extensive experience
in community based rehabilitation in third world countries. The book
is written for caregivers in third world countries, who have a
desire to help injured persons. The authors wrote the book because
they felt that injured persons have rehabilitation needs and the
right to access rehabilitation workers who are knowledgeable. The
book provides comprehensive information on carrying out
rehabilitation in difficult circumstances while preserving patient
dignity. The focus of the book is to provide practical training and
advise to caregivers in third world counties who may be dealing with
the after effects of war, poverty, landmines, and other devastating
events in the absence of adequate resources. The text is written in
lay language with extensive pictures so that both rehabilitation
workers and village health / community workers can easily understand
and carry out the techniques described.
The book takes a problem solving approach by presenting real patient
cases from various countries and assisting the reader to work
through the cases to determine the optimal solutions within the
limited resources. According to the authors, rehabilitation
encompasses the body, mind and spirit.
The book begins with four chapters devoted to defining
rehabilitation and role of the caregiver, emphasizing the
rehabilitation role that family and friends can play in an injured
persons life and the importance of training people to do
rehabilitation. The book is then divided into seven primary
sections.
Section 1:
Addresses the acute phase of injury (defined in the book
as the first 7 days after injury) and the techniques needed during
that time period including emphasis on breathing exercises, assisted
and independent mobility, positioning and turning, and bed
exercises.
Section 2:
Addresses secondary problems associated with injury
including pain assessment and treatment; emotional problems
following trauma; pressure sore prevention and management;
identification of infectious diseases and processes such as tuberculous arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteomyelitis; wound
prevention and management; and prevention and management of
swelling.
Section 3:
Addresses specific types of injuries including spinal
cord injuries, burns, amputations, brain damage and other nerve
injuries (upper and lower extremity peripheral nerve injuries) .
Each chapter addresses the disabilities of the injuries, goals of
rehabilitation, and techniques to achieve those goals.
Section 4:
Addresses fracture management including types of
fractures and fracture healing, immobilization of fractures
including traction, plaster casts, internal and external fixation
devices and the use of slings. Extensive information is devoted to
making plaster casts and managing individuals with plaster casts.
Section 5:
Addresses the planning stage of rehabilitation including
assessing persons to determine causes of movement problems and
developing treatment plans to address those problems. Specific
problems addressed include spasticity, loss of sensation, leg length
discrepancy, coordination problems, contractures, and muscle
weakness. Appropriate exercises to address each of the above
problems are included.
Section 6:
Addresses the use of splints including problems that can
be addressed by splinting, choosing an appropriate splint, and
making upper and lower extremity splints.
Section 7:
Addresses mobility issues including the use of adaptive
devices. Walking aids are addressed including parallel bars, walking
frames, crutches and canes. Wheeled mobility aids include
wheelchairs, tricycles and gurneys. Activities of daily living such
as showering and bathing, toilet use, dressing, eating and food
preparation, writing and gardening are described, including the use
of adaptive devices.
The final chapters in the book address issues of returning to work
with a disability and adapting the work environment to meet the
needs of the individual. Issues of community acceptance are
addressed, as well as making the home environment and community
accessible. The book concludes with steps for setting up a
rehabilitation program.
Appendices include documentation forms and checklists and an
analysis of the normal movement of the major joints of the
body. The emphasis throughout the book is on prevention of secondary
problems and early active mobility. Extensive pictures are used
throughout the book to assist the reader in understanding the
concepts, techniques and exercises presented.
This book could serve as a valuable resource for medical
professionals serving on medical missions or working in third world
countries. The information and concepts are important and are
presented in a way the layperson can easily understand with the
combination of lay terminology and pictures. This book would serve
as an valuable resource for professionals not familiar with
rehabilitation techniques who find themselves in the position of not
having access to trained rehabilitation professionals.
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