Catastrophic Injuries

Types, Causes and Prevention, Medical Treatment and Rehabilitation

 

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Medical Treatment and Rehabilitation

A thorough, long-term strategy is needed for the treatment and rehabilitation of catastrophic injuries:

Quick Medical Intervention: Treatment and rehabilitation for catastrophic injuries involve a complex and long-term approach. Thus, timely and sufficient medical treatment is highly significant to soften the impact of the injury  (Saunders & Rose, 2021-01). Depending on the type and severity of the injury, medical interventions may range from urgent surgery to critical care and specialist therapies.

Personalized Rehab Programs: Recovery has personalized programs that are targeted at strength, coordination, and the ability to move (Powell & Lowenstein, 1996). In most of the treatments, occupational therapies and physical therapies are included, among others.

Multidisciplinary Approach: Most of the patients who undergo rehabilitation find a team, including but not limited to psychologists, occupational therapists, and physiotherapists  (Xiao Hong, Abd Wahab, & Azman, 2020-10). The multi-functional approach is of the essence when treating mental and emotional aspects, besides physical features.

Long-term Care Management: All possible follow-on health consequences will need long-term medical attention and support. This includes follow-up care, medication management, and treatment for new conditions arising from the initial injury.

Assistive Technologies: Assistive technology includes adaptive devices or technology that individuals with catastrophic injury may use to promote some degree of independence and improve their overall quality of life (Learning, 2010-07). Examples would include different mobility aids, augmentation communication devices, and residences, which are typically modified to make them suitable and accessible with an individual's newfound physical limitations.


Rehabilitation from such injuries is usually painful and takes lots of time. Rehabilitation may include:

·       Restoring or making better use of the injured body parts is the main goal of physical therapy.

·       Communication therapy helps people regain or improve their communication skills, most especially for people who have sustained catastrophic brain injury.

·       Cognitive rehabilitation aims to restore cognitive skills among people with brain impairment.

·       Occupational therapy helps people to relearn the performance of daily tasks and activities and aims at rendering independence.

·       Pharma Core rehabilitation involves resorting to prescription drugs for curing chronic pain to improve the quality of life.