Anoxic brain injury following near-drowning in children. Rehabilitation outcome: three case reports.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the outcome of near-drowning and rehabilitation contexts for recovery.


METHODS
Standardized measures were used to emphasize the functional impact of deficits over the first year post-injury in three children <2 years. Multimodal contexts for meaningful interplay were early adapted to the three cases.


RESULTS
The clinical pathways of recovery are identified. Initially all three cases manifested a generalized dystonia. Case 1 exhibited a good outcome with transient dyskinetic-dystonic syndrome; subsequently Bálint's syndrome emerged. In this case, the rehabilitation approach was organized on the pickup of direct perception of task-specific affordances. Cases 2 and 3 had poor outcomes presenting the worsening of torsion dystonia (status dystonicus) that hindered rehabilitation intervention.


CONCLUSIONS
The dynamic reaggregation of spatial organization through meaningful interaction in specific ecological contexts is the principal goal of rehabilitation intervention. Status dystonicus represents the worst feature for recovery.
Pierro
M M
MM
Department of Pediatric Rehabilitation, Neurorehabilitation Ward, IRCCS Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù, Palidoro (Rome), Passoscuro, Italy.
Bollea
L
L
Di Rosa
G
G
Gisondi
A
A
Cassarino
P
P
Giannarelli
P
P
Gentile
M
M
Morocutti
A
A
Ossella
M T
MT
Talone
L
L
Stortini
M
M
D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004421:Dystonia / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002534:Hypoxia, Brain / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015701:Near Drowning / Q000150:complications*; D016896:Treatment Outcome