Citation

Raissi GR. J. Spinal Cord Med. 2007; 30(4): 369-372.

Affiliation

Rehabilitation Department, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. grezaraissi@yahoo.com

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals, Publisher Maney Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

17853660

PMCID

PMC2031928

Abstract

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: en