Hand therapy experience after major earthquakes in 2023 in Türkiye: A single-site evaluation

Although post-disaster rehabilitation is increasingly recognized as essential, the role of hand therapy remains underexplored. Following the two devastating earthquakes in Türkiye in 2023, which resulted in over 50,000 deaths and 120,000 injuries, this study presents experiences and practices in post-disaster hand therapy to address the existing knowledge gap.

This study aims to share post-earthquake hand therapy experiences, highlight patient care challenges, and provide recommendations for future disaster management.

This retrospective study involves patients who were transported from the disaster area to a tertiary hospital by ambulance. Each patient referred to hand therapy by the hand surgeon was treated and followed up by two hand therapists. The patients had various injuries, including compartment syndrome, fasciotomy, amputations, and fractures. All patients were seen at least once for therapy.

This retrospective study evaluated 24 patients aged 5-63 who were referred to a tertiary centre for hand therapy following the earthquake. All patients were trapped under rubble, with compartment syndrome, amputations, and fractures being the most common injuries. Therapy began on average 3-4 weeks post-disaster. Twelve patients completed treatment, while 10 were lost to follow-up. All patients developed joint limitations and deformities.

Our post-disaster hand therapy experiences have shown the necessity of educating the hand therapists and the other healthcare professionals before the disaster, approaching patients within a multidisciplinary framework and planning treatment, and placing emphasis on increasing functional recovery in the long term.