American family physician
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The stress of acute, severe illness penetrates the patient's intrapsychic defenses to varying depths. The physician who deals with the resulting regressive behavior must identify and strengthen the overwhelmed defenses. Management includes the judicious use of drugs, accurate interpretation of the patient's behavior, and acceptance of the patient. The physician's countertransferential feelings can be helped by the understanding of a trusted colleague.
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Various plaster splints can be used in the management of many acute musculoskeletal injuries seen in the emergency setting. These include gutter splints of thumb, radial and ulnar types; volar forearm, sugar-tong and posterior elbow splints, and knee, short leg and stirrup splints. When properly made, these devices afford symptomatic relief, mechanical support and sometimes even definitive therapy for fractures and soft tissue injuries of the extremities.