[Rehabilitation after polytrauma : Definitions and treatment approaches]. / Rehabilitation nach Polytrauma : Definitionen und Behandlungspfade.

After initial resuscitation and surgical reconstruction of structural damages, the functional rehabilitation is one of the critical columns of polytraumatized patient management. This programme starts as early as the initial therapy in the trauma bay and proceeds until socio-professional reintegration of the patient into his pre-traumatic environment.Thus, three phases of a rehabilitation were identified: the early rehabilitation, the post-acute rehabilitation and the continuative rehabilitation.Since the mortality after major trauma is continuously decreasing, the life quality of trauma victims came more and more into the focus of the actual scientific discussion. To improve this life quality, several rehabilitation programmes were developed and varius instruments were developed to quantify outcome results, such as the GOS or the SF-36, respectively.The aim of this review is to describe these various programmes and instruments, to improve the individual rehabilitation process for polytraumatized patients.

[Quality of life after multiple trauma]. / Lebensqualität nach Polytrauma.

BACKGROUND: Multiple trauma is an independent injury pattern which, because of its complexity, is responsible for 25 % of the costs for the treatment of all injured patients. Because of the often long-lasting physical impairment and the high incidence of residual permanent handicaps, it is apparent that multiple trauma can lead to a reduction in patient quality of life. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to give an overview of the known data concerning the change in quality of life for multiple trauma patients. Furthermore, predictors for the reduction of quality of life after multiple trauma will be identified. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A MedLine search was performed to identify studies dealing with the outcome after multiple trauma. RESULTS: In addition to functional outcome parameters, the term quality of life has become more important in recent years when it comes to evaluating the outcome following injury. While the mortality after multiple trauma could be significantly reduced over the years, there is no comparable effect on the quality of life. Predictors for a worse quality of life after multiple trauma are female gender, high age, low social status, concomitant head injuries and injury to the lower extremities. CONCLUSION: The fact that mortality after multiple trauma has decreased but not impairment of the quality of life makes it clear that in addition to the acute medical treatment, a follow-up treatment including not only physiotherapy but also psychotherapy is crucial for multiple trauma patients.

[Sequelae of severe injuries : consequences for trauma rehabilitation]. / Unfallfolgen nach schweren Verletzungen : Konsequenzen für die Trauma-Rehabilitation.

Consequences of accidents are found not only in physical but also in psychological and social areas. The quality of life of severely injured patients is significantly reduced compared with the normal population even years after the trauma. Subjective experiences of severely injured patients during and after hospitalization have a major impact on the subsequent quality of life. Knowledge of these factors is essential for the planning, organization and implementation of rehabilitation after severe injury. The phase model of rehabilitation after trauma requires early initiation of therapy even during acute treatment as so-called early rehabilitation. After a specialized post-acute rehabilitation additional therapeutic options are often required. Besides pain management the focus lies especially in work-related rehabilitation and psychological support which is also decisive for the success of rehabilitation of accident victims. For severely injured patients it is important to provide sufficient support, e.g. through a case manager which does not end with discharge from the rehabilitation facility. The aim of all efforts is reintegration into the working and social environment and the best possible quality of life.

Virtual reality hypnosis pain control in the treatment of multiple fractures: a case series.

This case series evaluated the use of virtual reality hypnosis (VRH) for the treatment of pain associated with multiple fractures from traumatic injuries. VRH treatment was administered on 2 consecutive days, and pain and anxiety were assessed each day before and after VRH treatment as well as on Day 3, which was 24 hours after the second treatment session. Pain reduction from baseline to Day 3 was from 70% to 30%, despite opioid analgesic use remaining stable. The subjective pain reduction reported by patients was encouraging, and the results of this case series suggest the importance of further study of VRH with larger samples using randomized controlled trials.

Broken bodies, healing spirits: road trauma survivor's perceptions of pastoral care during inpatient orthopaedic rehabilitation.

PURPOSE: The aim of this article is to present findings from an Australian study that explored road trauma survivors' perceptions of spirituality and of a hospital-based pastoral care service throughout their inpatient rehabilitation. All participants had experienced severe orthopaedic injury. METHOD: A mixed-method research design was used. The survey method elicited demographic, pastoral care contact and hospitalisation data. It included the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI; Tedeschi and Calhoun 1996) and an adapted World Health Organisation Pastoral Intervention (WHO 2002) coding schema (Constitution of the World Health Organisation, basic documents, supplement. 45 ed.). An interview method was used to elicit information about participants' prior and current experiences of faith and spirituality, expectations, and experiences of the pastoral care service, and perceptions of the role of pastoral care in their rehabilitation. RESULTS: A thematic analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data identified nine core themes of supportive pastoral care. Pastoral care was seen as a valued and supportive intervention. Participants who completed the PTGI reported at least some degree of posttraumatic growth. CONCLUSIONS: Further research is recommended to examine the role and efficacy of pastoral care that is integral to road trauma recovery support.

Post-acute polytrauma rehabilitation and integrated care of returning veterans: toward a holistic approach.

UNLABELLED: Throughout the history of war, exposure to combat has been associated with clusters of physical and psychological symptoms labeled in various ways, from "hysteria" to "shell shock" in World War I to "polytrauma" in Operations Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Iraqi Freedom (OIF). OBJECTIVE: To describe the historical conceptualizations of combat injury and the ways they are relevant to developing current rehabilitation strategies, discuss the symptom complex presented by OEF/OIF veterans, and describe key elements and principles of holistic, integrated care for post-acute OEF/OIF veterans. CONCLUSIONS: A conceptualization of rehabilitation recognizing a final common pathway of functional disability and suffering is proposed, and both systematic and treatment-specific aspects at the core of a veteran-centered holistic approach are discussed.

Life beyond severe traumatic injury: an integrative review of the literature.

It is only recently that recognition of the serious and debilitating sequelae of trauma has prompted exploration of outcomes beyond survival, such as disability, health status and quality of life. This paper aims to review the literature describing outcomes following severe traumatic injury to provide clinicians with a greater understanding of the recovery trajectory following severe trauma and highlight the issues faced by those recovering from such injury. Electronic databases, published reference lists and the Internet were searched to identify relevant literature. The heterogeneous nature of published literature in this area prohibited a systematic approach to inclusion of papers in this review. Trauma survivors report significant sequelae that influence functional status, psychological wellbeing, quality of life and return to productivity following severe injury. Key themes that emerge from the review include: current trauma systems which provide inadequate support along the recovery trajectory; rehabilitation referral which is affected by geographical location and provider preferences; a long-term loss of productivity in both society and the workplace; a high incidence of psychological sequelae; a link between poor recovery and increased drug and alcohol consumption; and valued social support which can augment recovery. Future research to evaluate interventions which target the recovery needs of the severely injured patients is recommended. Particular emphasis is required to develop systematic, sustainable and cost-effective follow-up to augment the successes of existing acute trauma services in providing high quality acute resuscitation and definitive trauma management.

[Multidisciplinary approach to the patient with multiple trauma: a case report]. / Approccio multispecialistico al paziente politraumatizzato: un caso clinico.

A multidisciplinary approach to severe polytraumatized patient is very important for a rapid, uncomplicated recovery. Specialized centres with special beds, monitoring equipment, and a multidisciplinary team are required. The authors report a case of a 26-year-old man admitted to their department in an emergency setting for a crush injury (occupational trauma) of the lumbar, gluteal and perineal areas, complicated with septic shock and gas gangrene of the injured areas. A multidisciplinary approach to the patient, consisting in surgical and plastic surgical therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and the use of a special antidecubitus fluidized bed allowed complete recovery within 7 months without any motor or sphincter disorders.

Stress and immunity after traumatic injury: the mind-body link.

Traumatic injury poses a significant psychologic and physiologic threat, challenging a victim's perceptions of control over their environment and life outcomes. The multiple stressors presented by traumatic injury diminishes the patient's perceptions of control, resulting in a subjective stress response. Increased stress response after traumatic injury has been associated with altered immune function and decreased immunity. This paper reviews the current literature on stress and immunity after traumatic injury, focusing on the immune changes induced by excessive serum cortisol. It then presents evidence suggesting that the trauma patient's subjective stress response and diminished perceptions of control may act as factors in the immune changes occurring after injury. Recent studies supporting this hypothesis are reviewed, and recommendations for interventions, nursing practice, and research are discussed.

Psychotherapeutic approach to the management of the severely injured patient.

In this modern day and age, severe injury has become the dire consequence of an ever-increasing number of motor vehicle, industrial and mining accidents as well as sport-, military- and terror-related incidents that occur. The management of the severely injured patient is mostly directed on an exclusively physical level. Often, very little attention is afforded to the psychosocial factors that prevail following physical trauma. The author describes and discusses how holistic multidisciplinary intervention within the medical milieu facilitates a more psychotherapeutic approach to the management of severely injured patients. This approach facilitates physical recovery and increases the rate of readjustment and reintegration into society, of those who have sustained severe injury.