Medical update on injured from Boston marathon blasts
(22 Apr 2013) 1. Wide of news conference 2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr. Peter Burke, Chief of Trauma, Boston Medical Centre: "We received 23 patients here at Boston Medical Centre. We were able to assess four of these patients, observe them over time and discharge them home. We admitted 19. Of those 19, we operated on 16 within the first eight hours of that period and over the last week, I'm happy to report that patients are getting better. As of today, we have re-operated, we have done 23 re-operations on these patients, and at the present time, we have eleven patients remaining in the hospital. One is considered critically ill, three serious and seven fair. And we plan on re-operating on one of these patients today." 3. Wide of news conference 4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr. Jeffrey Kalish, Director of Endovascular Surgery, Boston Medical Centre: "Nearly all of the patients who have lost legs are already walking the halls with physical therapists. It takes a lot of work, it takes a lot of safety, a lot of practice, and they have to learn new routines. But we're all gearing up for a mass exodus to rehab, hopefully during this upcoming week." 5. Wide of news conference 6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Terence Keane, Psychiatrist, Boston University School of Medicine: "Recovery from this psychologically is a marathon. And as you heard from my rehabilitation physician colleague here, it will take months for people to recover." 7. Wide of news conference STORYLINE: Doctors at Boston Medical Centre said on Monday that many of those injured in the Boston Marathon bombings faced a long recovery, both mentally and physically. More than 180 people were hurt in the explosions, and at least 14 of them lost all or part of a limb. Boston Medical Centre treated 23 of the victims of Monday's bombings. "I'm happy to report that patients are getting better," said Dr. Peter Burke, the Chief of Trauma Services at the hospital. "As of today, we have re-operated, we have done 23 re-operations on these patients and at the present time, we have eleven patients remaining in the hospital," he added. Burke said the hospital had plans to re-operate on the eleven remaining patients. Of the patients treated by Boston Medical Centre, seven people required amputations. Doctors confirmed the victims were making progress, and said they were being fitted with prosthetic limbs and encouraged to go to rehabilitation. "Nearly all of the patients who have lost legs are already walking the halls with physical therapistsm," said Dr. Jeffrey Kalish, the director of Endovascular Surgery at the Boston Medical Centre. "It takes a lot of work, a lot of safety, a lot of practice, and they have to learn new routines. But we're all gearing up for a mass exodus to rehab, hopefully in this upcoming week," he added. Terence Keane, a psychiatrist Boston University School of Medicine, said the psychological recovery for the victims of Monday's bombings was a form of "marathon itself." He stressed that those who did best were the ones who returned to their normal routines. "And as you heard from my rehabilitation physician colleague here, it will take months for people to recover," said Keane. Three people died at the scene of Monday's marathon bombings, as well as a security officer who was shot during a later confrontation with one of the suspects. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
