Resting affected limbs in neutral position Repeat from May 06 & 07 Disability limitation is the mode of intervention used if the patient presents in late pathogenic phase. The objective is to prevent the transition of the disease proecess from impairment to handicap. The sequence of events leading to disability and handicap are: Disease ---> impairment -4 disability -4 handicap Impairment - is defined as any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological or anatomical structure or function eg. loss of foot, defective vision or mental retardation. Disability - it is inability to carry out ceain activities considered normal for human beings, because of his 'impairment'. Handicap means that the individual with 'disability' is not able to perform his duties and obligations expected of him in the society. For example: Accident is the disease (or disorder) Loss of foot is the impairment Cannot walk is the disability Unemployed is the handicap Lets see other Modes of intervention in the disease process. Modes of Intervention Modes of intervention can be defined as any attempt to interrupt the usual sequence of any disease process (right from the risk factors to handicap) There are 5 modes of intervention: Health promotion Specific protection Early diagnosis Disability limitation Rehabilitation I. Health promotion Health promotion is not directed against any paicular disease, but is intended to improve the health of people through a variety of interventions like: i) Health education ii) Environmental modifications - Like provision of safe water, installation of sanitary latrines, control of insects and rodents etc. iii) Nutritional interventions - Like food foification, child feeding programmes. iv) Lifestyle and behavioural changes 2. Specific protection is directed against specific disease through interventions such as : - Immunization - Chemoprophylaxis - Protection from carcinogens etc. 3. Early diagnosis and treatment It involves detecting and treating the disease while the biochemical morphological and functional changes are still reversible. Thus it prevents ove disease and disablement. Early diagnosis and treatment are the only effective mode of intervention in following diseases. - Tuberculosis - Leprosy - STD 4. Disability limitation - Already described 5. Rehabilitation It is the combined and coordinated use of medical, social, educational and vocational measures for enabling the handicapped persons to achieve social integration (social integration is defined as the active paicipation of disabled and handicapped people in the mainstream of community life) Option 'a' - Reducing occurence of polio by immunization is specific protection Option 'b' - Arranging for schooling of child suffering from PRPP is rehabilitation Option 'c' - Resting affected limbs in neutral position disability limitation Option 'd' - Providing calipers for walking rehabilitation