The significance of physiotherapy in the treatment of children with multiple traumatic injuries

• Published in: Fizjoterapia 2015-01, Vol.23 (1), p.9-16
• Main Authors: Wolański, Wojciech, Bęgowska-Falkowska, Aleksandra, Słonka, Karina, Hyla-Klekot, Lidia
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; pol
• Subjects: children; Injuries; Interdisciplinary aspects; multiple trauma; physiotherapy; Trauma
• ISSN: 2083-8204; 2083-8204; 2544-4395
• DOI: 10.1515/physio-2015-0005

Rapid development of civilization, observed in the contemporary world, makes human life easier, but at the same time, it brings a lot of dangers and threats. Constant ‘race against the clock’, moving from one place to another, stress and fatigue result in a growing number of traffic accidents which claim the lives and health of adults as well as children. Most of the injuries are multiple traumatic injuries that affect two or more bodily organs or systems and cause damage to at least two body areas. They constitute exceptionally difficult, interdisciplinary therapeutic problem which is the most frequent cause of death and development of a disease in children over 3 years old. The aim of this research study was to conduct a retrospective analysis of physiotherapeutic procedures applied in the course of treatment of multiple trauma in children hospitalized in the Voivodship Medical Centre in Opole (Wojewódzkie Centum Medyczne). It was carried out in the group of 9 children aged 5-17 in the years of 2011-2013. As multiorgan injuries in children affect a developing body, they require a professional, interdisciplinary, therapeutic proceeding. The analysis of the ways of treatment shows that after securing basic vital functions of the children and the stabilization of their health, physiotherapy takes its turn. Its main role is to restore child’s physical ability, which was disordered due to the injury, as much as it is possible. According to the analysis of clinical and therapeutic progress in all 9 patients suffering from multi-organ injuries, an attempt has been undertaken to set the scheme of physiotherapeutic proceeding in such cases. Preparing the scheme, all basic rules of physiotherapeutic proceeding have been taken into consideration, namely, introducing therapeutic activities as soon as possible taking into account patient’s condition and the extent of damage/injury. The analysis proved that physiotherapy in multiple trauma is a complicated process that involves many techniques, methods and procedures. Moreover, every physiotherapeutic treatment ought to be adjusted individually to the patient depending on their condition and dysfunctions. Skilful management of the rehabilitation process significantly accelerates patient’s recovery to the extent of proper physical function, and limits the degree of disability after multipletrauma.