Citation

Subilia L, Bertrand D, Loutan L. Schweiz. Med. Wochenschr. 1996; 126(30): 1291-1296.

Vernacular Title

Identifier les victimes de violences et de torture: le role du praticien.

Affiliation

Département de médecine communautaire, Belle-Idée, Hôpitaux universitaires de Genëve.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1996, EMH Swiss Medical Publishers)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8765769

Abstract

Many asylum seekers and refugees arriving in Switzerland have been exposed to major trauma such as war, incarceration or torture. A growing number of Swiss doctors treat patients who are victims of violence and torture, and may need to draw up medical reports on sequelae of such trauma. These are often difficult to detect, as patients do not bring up the subject spontaneously. A request for a medical report offers an opportunity to recognize and explore the patient's past traumatic experiences and can be a first step in the therapeutic process. The experience gained in this field at the Travel and Migration Medicine Unit, Geneva, is reported in this article. Analysis of 82 cases treated between June 1991 and December 1993 documents the types of trauma alleged and illustrates the patients' complaints and the clinical signs observed.

Language: fr