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Abstract
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OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following traumatic injury. SETTING: Single urban level I trauma center.
DESIGN: Prospective.Patients/Participants: Three hundred men (66%) and 152 women treated for traumatic injuries were administered the PTSD checklist for DSM-V (PCL-5) survey during their first post-hospital visit over a 15-month period. INTERVENTION: Screening for PTSD in trauma patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT: Prevalence of disease; risk factors for development of PTSD based on demographic, medical, injury, and treatment variables.
RESULTS: One hundred and three patients screened positive for PTSD (26%) after a mean of 86 days following injury. Age less than 45 years was an independent risk factor for the development of PTSD (OR 2.64, 95% CI [1.40, 4.99]). Mechanisms of injury associated with the development of PTSD included pedestrians struck by motor vehicles (OR 7.35, 95% CI [1.58, 34.19]), motorcycle/ATV crash (OR 3.17, 95% CI [1.04, 9.65]), and victims of crime (OR 3.49, 95% CI 0.99, 9.20]). Patients sustaining high energy mechanism injuries and those who were victims of crime scored higher on the PCL-5 (OR 2.39, 95% CI [1.35, 4.22]; OR 4.50, 95% CI [2.52, 8.05], respectively).
CONCLUSIONS: One quarter of trauma patients screened positive for PTSD at 3 months following their injury. Mechanism of injury is a risk factor for PTSD, and younger adults, victims of crime, and pedestrians struck by motor vehicles are at higher risk. These findings offer the potential to more effectively target and refer vulnerable patient populations to appropriate treatment. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.
Language: en |