scholarly journals Stress related growth after severe trauma: Investigating long-term psychiatric outcomes and coping mechanisms 20+ years after injury

2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Kalbas ◽  
S Halvachizadeh ◽  
A T Luidl ◽  
B Zelle ◽  
R Pfeifer ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective There is limited research on the long-term psychiatric outcomes of severely injured patients. Those studies existing, focus on the negativ effects like post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression. Yet, also psychiatric improvements can be noticed in patients after severe trauma, mainly focused on stress related growth. In our study we investigated coping mechanisms in multiply injured patients at least 20 years after trauma. Methods 631 patients, who suffered a severe injury between 1971 and 1990 were contacted 20 or more years later. All patients were 3 to 60 years of age when injured and were attended to at the same institution. 36 questions inspired by the stress related growth scale (SRGS) and the post-traumatic growth inventory (PGI) were enquired via a questionnaire. Questions touched on 5 specific topics relating to growth: 1) relationships to others, 2) personal strengths, 3) appreciation of life, 4) new possibilities and 5) spiritual change. Each question quantified improvements in specific areas: Possible answers were „None at all“, „some“ and „a great deal“. Results A total of 338 patients returned the questionnaire and could be included in our study. Gender distribution was 114 females (33,8%) to 223 males (66,8%). 96,5% of patients reported improvements regarding at least one of the 36 questions. Approximately a third of patients noticed distinct improvements regarding their relationship to others (29,2%) and their appreciation of life (36,2%). Furthermore, 32,5% of patients registered overall positive attitudes towards new possibilities. Referring to spiritual changes, only 20,5% of patients reported positive changes, while 55,7% reported no changes at all. Regarding personal strengths, 23,4% indicated overall positive changes compared with 35% indicating no changes at all. Statistical analysis showed women to adapt significantly better (p < 0,01) in every aspect besides spiritual changes. Furthermore, we noticed weak positive correlations between positive changes and age at injury (r = 0.26) as well as injury severity (r = 0.152). We saw, however no correlation with general health. Conclusion 20 years after severe trauma, patients report improvements in their relationship with others, appreciation of life and attitude towards new possibilities. Such coping mechanisms, as results of stress related growth, should be identified and fostered in clinical practice.

Author(s):  
Y. Kalbas ◽  
M. Lempert ◽  
F. Ziegenhain ◽  
J. Scherer ◽  
V. Neuhaus ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose The number of severely injured patients exceeding the age of 60 has shown a steep increase within the last decades. These patients present with numerous co-morbidities, polypharmacy, and increased frailty requiring an adjusted treatment approach. In this study, we establish an overview of changes we observed in demographics of older severe trauma patients from 2002 to 2017. Methods A descriptive analysis of the data from the TraumaRegister DGU® (TR-DGU) was performed. Patients admitted to a level one trauma center in Germany, Austria and Switzerland between 2002 and 2017, aged 60 years or older and with an injury severity score (ISS) over 15 were included. Patients were stratified into subgroups based on the admission: 2002–2005 (1), 2006–2009 (2), 2010–2013 (3) and 2014–2017 (4). Trauma and patient characteristics, diagnostics, treatment and outcome were compared. Results In total 27,049 patients with an average age of 73.9 years met the inclusion criteria. The majority were males (64%), and the mean ISS was 27.4. The proportion of patients 60 years or older [(23% (1) to 40% (4)] rose considerably over time. Trauma mechanisms changed over time and more specifically low falls (< 3 m) rose from 17.6% (1) to 40.1% (4). Altered injury patterns were also identified. Length-of-stay decreased from 28.9 (1) to 19.5 days (4) and the length-of-stay on ICU decreased from 17.1 (1) to 12.7 days (4). Mortality decreased from 40.5% (1) to 31.8% (4). Conclusion Length of stay and mortality decreased despite an increase in patient age. We ascribe this observation mainly to increased use of diagnostic tools, improved treatment algorithms, and the implementation of specialized trauma centers for older patients allowing interdisciplinary care.


2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 1003-1003
Author(s):  
R Lange ◽  
L French ◽  
S Lippa ◽  
J Bailie ◽  
T Brickell

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to examine long-term neurobehavioral outcome in SMVs with versus without PTSD following TBI of all severities. Methods Participants were 536 SMVs recruited into three experimental groups (TBI, injured controls [IC], non-injured controls [NIC]). Participants completed the PTSD Checklist and the TBI-Quality of Life (TBI-QOL). Participants were divided into six subgroups based on the three experimental categories, two PTSD categories (i.e., present/absent), and two broad TBI severity categories (i.e., ‘unMTBI’ [includes uncomplicated mild TBI]; and ‘smcTBI’ [includes severe TBI, moderate TBI, and complicated mild TBI): (1) NIC/PTSD-Absent, (2) IC/PTSD-Absent, (3) unMTBI/PTSD-Absent, (4) unMTBI/PTSD-Present, (5) smcTBI/PTSD-Absent, and (6) smcTBI/PTSD-Present. Results There were significant main effects across the six groups for all TBI-QOL measures (p < .001). Select pairwise comparisons revealed significantly worse scores (p < .001) on all TBI-QOL measures in all PTSD-Present groups compared to the PTSD-Absent groups (i.e., Group 3v4 and 5v6; d = 0.90 to 2.11). In contrast, when controlling for PTSD, there were no significant differences between the TBI severity groups for all TBI-QOL measures (i.e., Group 3v5 and 4v6). In the TBI sample, a series of step-wise regression analyses revealed that PTSD, but not TBI severity, was consistently a strong predictor of all TBI-QOL scales (all p’s < .001), accounting for up to 64% of the variance. Conclusions These results provide support for the very strong influence of PTSD, but not TBI severity, on long-term neurobehavioral outcome following TBI. Concurrent PTSD and TBI of all severities should be considered a risk factor for poor long-term neurobehavioral outcome that requires ongoing monitoring.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0252673
Author(s):  
Marjolein van der Vlegel ◽  
Juanita A. Haagsma ◽  
Roos J. M. Havermans ◽  
Leonie de Munter ◽  
Mariska A. C. de Jongh ◽  
...  

Background Through improvements in trauma care there has been a decline in injury mortality, as more people survive severe trauma. Patients who survive severe trauma are at risk of long-term disabilities which may place a high economic burden on society. The purpose of this study was to estimate the health care and productivity costs of severe trauma patients up to 24 months after sustaining the injury. Furthermore, we investigated the impact of injury severity level on health care utilization and costs and determined predictors for health care and productivity costs. Methods This prospective cohort study included adult trauma patients with severe injury (ISS≥16). Data on in-hospital health care use, 24-month post-hospital health care use and productivity loss were obtained from hospital registry data and collected with the iMTA Medical Consumption and Productivity Cost Questionnaire. The questionnaires were completed 1 week and 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 months after injury. Log-linked gamma generalized linear models were used to investigate the drivers of health care and productivity costs. Results In total, 174 severe injury patients were included in this study. The median age of participants was 55 years and the majority were male (66.1%). The mean hospital stay was 14.2 (SD = 13.5) days. Patients with paid employment returned to work 21 weeks after injury. In total, the mean costs per patient were €24,760 with in-hospital costs of €11,930, post-hospital costs of €7,770 and productivity costs of €8,800. Having an ISS ≥25 and lower health status were predictors of high health care costs and male sex was associated with higher productivity costs. Conclusions Both health care and productivity costs increased with injury severity, although large differences were observed between patients. It is important for decision-makers to consider not only in-hospital health care utilization but also the long-term consequences and associated costs related to rehabilitation and productivity loss.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maude Bernasconi ◽  
Béatrice Eggel-Hort ◽  
Antje Horsch ◽  
Yvan Vial ◽  
Alban Denys ◽  
...  

AbstractThis study intend to compare the long-term psychological impact (depression, post-traumatic stress disorder) on both partners between patients that underwent uterine artery embolization (UAE) for post-partum hemorrhage (PPH) and uneventful deliveries. Women who experienced severe PPH treated by UAE in our institution between 2003 and 2013 were identified in our obstetrical database. These cases were matched to controls with uneventful deliveries. Matching criteria were maternal age, parity, ethnicity, year of delivery, birthweight, gestational age and mode of delivery. Patients and their partners completed validated questionnaires measuring post-traumatic stress (TSQ), as well as depression symptoms (MINI). A total of 63 cases of PPH and 189 matched controls (1:3) participated in a study exploring gynecological and obstetrical outcomes. With a mean of 8 years post-index delivery, patients after PPH showed increased risk of depression (p = 0.015) and post-traumatic stress disorder (22.2% versus 4.8%, p < 0.005) compared to controls. PPH remains strongly associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, even after adjustment for depression (adjusted odds ratio 5.1; 95% confidence intervals 1.5–17.5). Similarly, partners of patients with PPH showed a propensity to depression (p = 0.029) and post-traumatic stress disorder (11.5% versus 1.5%, p = 0.019). In conclusion, both women and their partners are at increased risk of long-term psychological adverse outcomes after PPH. Couples may benefit from psychological support.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Takahiro Kinoshita ◽  
Kensuke Moriwaki ◽  
Nao Hanaki ◽  
Tetsuhisa Kitamura ◽  
Kazuma Yamakawa ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Hybrid emergency room (ER) systems, consisting of an angiography-computed tomography (CT) machine in a trauma resuscitation room, are reported to be effective for reducing death from exsanguination in trauma patients. We aimed to investigate the cost-effectiveness of a hybrid ER system in severe trauma patients without severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods We conducted a cost-utility analysis comparing the hybrid ER system to the conventional ER system from the perspective of the third-party healthcare payer in Japan. A short-term decision tree and a long-term Markov model using a lifetime time horizon were constructed to estimate quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and associated lifetime healthcare costs. Short-term mortality and healthcare costs were derived from medical records and claims data in a tertiary care hospital with a hybrid ER. Long-term mortality and utilities were extrapolated from the literature. The willingness-to-pay threshold was set at $47,619 per QALY gained and the discount rate was 2%. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted. Results The hybrid ER system was associated with a gain of 1.03 QALYs and an increment of $33,591 lifetime costs compared to the conventional ER system, resulting in an ICER of $32,522 per QALY gained. The ICER was lower than the willingness-to-pay threshold if the odds ratio of 28-day mortality was < 0.66. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis indicated that the hybrid ER system was cost-effective with a 79.3% probability. Conclusion The present study suggested that the hybrid ER system is a likely cost-effective strategy for treating severe trauma patients without severe TBI.


Trauma ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 146040862098226
Author(s):  
Will Kieffer ◽  
Daniel Michalik ◽  
Jason Bernard ◽  
Omar Bouamra ◽  
Benedict Rogers

Introduction Trauma is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, but little is known of the temporal variation in major trauma across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Proper workforce and infrastructure planning requires identification of the caseload burden and its temporal variation. Materials and Methods The Trauma Audit Research Network (TARN) database for admissions attending Major Trauma Centres (MTCs) between 1st April 2011 and 31st March 2018 was analysed. TARN records data on all trauma patients admitted to hospital who are alive at the time of admission to hospital. Major trauma was classified as an Injury Severity Score (ISS) >15. Results A total of 158,440 cases were analysed. Case ascertainment was over 95% for 2013 onwards. There was a statistically significant variation in caseload by year (p < 0.0001), times of admissions (p < 0.0001), caseload admitted during weekends vs weekdays, 53% vs 47% (p < 0.0001), caseload by season with most patients admitted during summer (p < 0.0001). The ISS varied by time of admission with most patients admitted between 1800 and 0559 (p < 0.0001), weekend vs weekday with more severely injured patients admitted during the weekend (p < 0.0001) and by season p < 0.0001). Discussion and Conclusion: There is a significant national temporal variation in major trauma workload. The reasons are complex and there are multiple theories and confounding factors to explain it. This is the largest dataset for hospitals submitting to TARN which can help guide workforce and resource allocation to further improve trauma outcomes.


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