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| Disaster Preparedness |
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| Journal Article |
| Earthquakes and rehabilitation needs: experiences from Bam, Iran. |
| Raissi GR. J Spinal Cord Med 2007; 30(4): 369-72. |
| Affiliation: Rehabilitation Department, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. grezaraissi@yahoo.com |
| DOI: unavailable What is this? |
| PMID: 17853660 |
| (Copyright © 2007, Paralyzed Veterans of America) |
| BACKGROUND: In December 2003, a devastating earthquake destroyed Bam and surrounding areas in Iran, leaving many people with residual deficits and disabilities, of which approximately 240 patients had spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS: As an independent volunteer working in outpatient clinics, I visited the patients as part of a mobile team and set up a short educational course in spinal cord medicine. RESULTS: I visited 34 patients with SCI in the first 3 months. Eight months after the disaster, I visited 54 patients with SCI, 29 female (53.7%) and 25 male (46.3%). Postdisaster problems were identified, including need for accurate data collection, identification of patients' conditions, attention paid to psychosocial issues, ethical dilemmas, and research needs. CONCLUSION: Disaster preparedness for earthquakes should include first aid and injury prevention, coordination of relief efforts, basic education and medical care, and short-and long-term rehabilitation needs. The major focus of rehabilitation medicine specialists' should be education of the general and professional population toward integrating the concept of rehabilitation.
Language: Eng |
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