Vietnam Amputees: Long-Term Follow-Up
Abstract
During the Vietnam War, amputees received initial rehabilitation and prosthetic fitting at general hospitals where they were assigned as they arrived in the United States after they had been injured. Treatment and rehabilitative services were not necessarily consistent among all the facilities that treated the amputees. At some hospitals, amputees were assigned to a general orthopaedic service that treated all categories of orthopaedic patients. Recognizing the need to provide consistent treatment and rehabilitative services to amputees, Valley Forge Army General Hospital was the only United States Army facility that organized a separate amputee service consolidating the resources of physicians, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, and prosthetists. Whereas amputee care at Valley Forge Army General Hospital had previously been uncoordinated and fragmented, establishing the amputee service provided the opportunity to develop each aspect of amputee treatment and rehabilitative services. In addition to emphasizing stump healing and physical therapy, the administration, physicians, and staff focused attention on the psychological and social aspects of the patients' care as well. As a result, the amputee service created a milieu that fostered camaraderie and teamwork among the amputees.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADB241896
Entities
People
- Paul J. Dougherty
Organizations
- University of Louisville