A profile of traumatic spinal cord injury and medical complications in Latvia

Study design: A single centre retrospective study. Objectives: To collect data and analyse the epidemiological profile of traumatic spinal cord injury and its medical complications during the subacute rehabilitation period. Setting: Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Programme of the National Rehabilitation Centre, 'Vaivari', Jurmala, Latvia. Methods: Information was collected in 2015 from the medical records of 134 patients with a traumatic spinal cord injury admitted for primary rehabilitation between January 2011 and December 2014. Results: During this period, the median age of patients with a traumatic spinal cord injury was 39.5 years, and the male to female ratio was 5:1. The leading causes of traumatic spinal cord injuries were falls (37%), road traffic accidents (29%), sport and leisure activities (19%), other cause (8%), unidentified causes (5%), and assault (2%). The most common medical complications were pain (77%), spasticity (48%), urinary tract infections (45%), pressure ulcers (25%), and orthostatic hypotension (14%). Conclusions: Preventive measures in Latvia should be aimed primarily to address falls, road traffic accidents, and sport and leisure activities in the young male population. Medical complications are varied, and they are an important factor following traumatic spinal cord injury. The results obtained in this study comply with the data from studies in countries of the Baltic and North Sea regions of Europe.publishersversionPeer reviewe

STRESS COPING AS A PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTOR FOR CHRONIFICATION OF LOW BACK PAIN

Stress is a part of our everyday life and it plays an important role in causing various diseases including low back pain and vice versa chronic pain is a stressor that is challenging stress system of the human body. Purpose of the study is to examine stress coping among patients with low back pain in rehabilitation practice in Latvia. Demographic questionnaire, Visual analogue scale and “The Ways of Coping scale” were used. Results. Almost all stress coping strategies scores for patients with low back pain in their first visit are higher than in patients with revisit to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation doctor and there is statistically significant difference in the use of problem oriented stress coping. Conclusion. This research is meaningful due to the fact it allows to acknowledge and evaluate the spectrum of stress coping ways for patients with low back pain

The Individual Rehabilitation Project as the core of person-centred rehabilitation - the Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Section and Board of the European Union of Medical Specialists framework for rehabilitation in Europe.

To facilitate the interaction between the health professional and the patient, a framework to guide the rehabilitation process is needed. This framework would encompass three interwoven aspects: the rehabilitation management plan, Individual Rehabilitation Project (IRP), and rehabilitation cycle(s). All three framework aspects focus on the patient and on the aim of rehabilitation, i.e. to optimize a person's functioning across the continuum of care. An IRP is a multi-element, person-centred rehabilitation management scheme, in which rehabilitation is generally provided by a multi-professional team under the leadership of a physical and rehabilitation medicine (PRM) physician, working in an interdisciplinary manner and together with the patient (or proxy). A reference system for operationalizing functioning and standardizing the process is the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) - for assessing functioning needs, defining rehabilitation goals and outcomes. The objective of this paper is to present the IRP as a framework for rehabilitation in Europe (EUR-IRP). The specific aims are to 1) introduce the IRP and 2) describe the framework components, elements and variables of the IRP. Demonstration projects (case studies) using the EUR-IRP will be conducted. The present paper presents the efforts to date for developing the EUR-IRP, a key part of action plan of the PRM Section and Board of the European Union of Medical Specialists to implement the ICF systemwide across the care continuum. This paper serves as another step to bring together practice, science and governance in calling for contribution from rehabilitation clinicians and researchers and professional societies in PRM and beyond

The Individual Rehabilitation Project as the core of person-centred rehabilitation - the Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Section and Board of the European Union of Medical Specialists framework for rehabilitation in Europe

: To facilitate the interaction between the health professional and the patient, a framework to guide the rehabilitation process is needed. This framework would encompass three interwoven aspects: the rehabilitation management plan, Individual Rehabilitation Project (IRP), and rehabilitation cycle(s). All three framework aspects focus on the patient and on the aim of rehabilitation, i.e. to optimize a person's functioning across the continuum of care. An IRP is a multi-element, person-centred rehabilitation management scheme, in which rehabilitation is generally provided by a multi-professional team under the leadership of a physical and rehabilitation medicine (PRM) physician, working in an interdisciplinary manner and together with the patient (or proxy). A reference system for operationalizing functioning and standardizing the process is the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) - for assessing functioning needs, defining rehabilitation goals and outcomes. The objective of this paper is to present the IRP as a framework for rehabilitation in Europe (EUR-IRP). The specific aims are to 1) introduce the IRP and 2) describe the framework components, elements and variables of the IRP. Demonstration projects (case studies) using the EUR-IRP will be conducted. The present paper presents the efforts to date for developing the EUR-IRP, a key part of action plan of the PRM Section and Board of the European Union of Medical Specialists to implement the ICF systemwide across the care continuum. This paper serves as another step to bring together practice, science and governance in calling for contribution from rehabilitation clinicians and researchers and professional societies in PRM and beyond

White Book on Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine in Europe Introductions, Executive Summary, and Methodology

The White Book (WB) of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) in Europe is produced by the 4 European PRM Bodies (European Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine - EARM, European Society of PRM - ESPRM, European Union of Medical Specialists - PRM Section, European College of PRM-ECPRM served by the European Union of Medical Specialists-PRM Board) and constitutes the reference book for PRM physicians in Europe. It has now reached its third edition; the first was published in 1989 and the second in 2006/2007. The WB has multiple purposes, including providing a unifying framework for European countries, to inform decision-makers on European and national level, to offer educational material for PRM trainees and physicians and information about PRM to the medical community, other rehabilitation professionals and the public