Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

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Welcome to PT 635 Pathophysiology of Complex Patient Problems This is a wiki created by and for the students in the School of Physical Therapy at Bellarmine University in Louisville KY. Please do not edit unless you are involved in this project, but please come back in the near future to check out new information!!

Original Editors - Samantha Sowder from Bellarmine University's Pathophysiology of Complex Patient Problems project.

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Definition/Description^1,2,4

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disordered characterized by psychological symptoms that continue to be experienced long after a traumatic event.  Any physical or psychological trauma can trigger PTSD, but there is most often an involvement of actual or threatened serious injury to the person or someone close to them.  The most common traumatic events leading to PTSD are combat, natural disasters, and abuse and victimization, including sexual assault and terrorism. The psychological pattern, characterized by persistent and chronic symptoms that arise in certain individuals in response to such events define this disorder.  The three primary symptoms of PTSD are frequent recollections of the event, which have become intrusive to daily life, avoidance of stimuli or situations triggering memories of the event, with a resulting emotional numbness or unresponsiveness, and increased physical arousal with anxiety, including extreme irritability or angry outbursts.

Prevalence

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Characteristics/Clinical Presentation

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Associated Co-morbidities

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Medications

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Diagnostic Tests/Lab Tests/Lab Values

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Etiology/Causes

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Systemic Involvement

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Medical Management (current best evidence)

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Physical Therapy Management (current best evidence)

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Alternative/Holistic Management (current best evidence)

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Differential Diagnosis

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Case Reports/ Case Studies

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Resources

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Recent Related Research (from Pubmed)

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References

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1. Comer RJ.  Abnormal Psychology.  6th ed.  New York, NY: Worth Publishers; 2007.
2. National Institute of Mental Health.  Health Topics: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  Available at www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/complete-index.shtml. Updated August 31, 2010.  Accessed March 6, 2011.
3. Fleener, PE. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Today: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder DSM-TR-IV^TM Diagnosis & Criteria.  Available at http://www.mental-health-today.com/ptsd/dsm.htm.  Accessed March 13, 2011. 
4. Hockenbury DH, Hockenbury SE. Psychology. 3rd ed.  New York, NY: Worth Publishers; 2003. 
5. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. PubMed Health: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD.  Available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001923/.  Updated February 14, 2010.  Accessed March 13, 2011. 
6. Bisson J, Andrew M. Psychological treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Review).  The Cochrane Library 2009, Issue 1. Available at http://info.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/userfiles/ccoch/file/CD003388.pdf.  Accessed March 16, 2011.