ABSTRACT
The principle 'rehabilitation starts in a resuscitation ward' has been realized in the resuscitation treatment of 34 patients with the prolonged crush syndrome (PCS) who were injured during the earthquake in Armenia. Laser therapy has been fairly effective, normalizing the external respiration function and central hemodynamics and reducing the blood coagulability. Instrumental vibration massage and acupuncture are recommended to be added to rehabilitation treatment of PCS patients.
Subject(s)
Crush Syndrome/radiotherapy , Disasters , Infrared Rays/therapeutic use , Laser Therapy , Shock, Traumatic/radiotherapy , Armenia , Critical Care/organization & administration , Crush Syndrome/etiology , Crush Syndrome/rehabilitation , Emergency Service, Hospital/organization & administration , Humans , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Axons of the mammalian peripheral and central nervous systems degenerate after nerve injury. We have recently found that He-Ne laser irradiation may prevent some of the consequences of the injury in peripheral nerves of mammals. In the present study, the efficacy of the laser in treating injured neurons of the mammalian CNS was tested. Optic nerves of adult rabbits were exposed daily for 8-14 days to He-Ne laser irradiation (14 min, 15 mW) through the overlying muscles and skin. As a result of this treatment, the injured nerves maintained their histological integrity, which is invariably lost in injured mammalian CNS neurons.