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Multicenter Study
. 2008 Apr;34(4):664-74.
doi: 10.1007/s00134-007-0941-3. Epub 2008 Jan 16.

Factors associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms in a prospective cohort of patients after abdominal sepsis: a nomogram

Kimberly R Boer  1 , Oddeke van Ruler, Arnold A P van Emmerik, Mirjam A Sprangers, Sophia E de Rooij, Margreeth B Vroom, Corianne A J M de Borgie, Marja A Boermeester, Johannes B Reitsma; Dutch Peritonitis Study Group
Collaborators, Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Factors associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms in a prospective cohort of patients after abdominal sepsis: a nomogram

Kimberly R Boer et al. Intensive Care Med. 2008 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: To determine to what extent patients who have survived abdominal sepsis suffer from symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, and to identify potential risk factors for PTSD symptoms.

Design and setting: PTSD and depression symptoms were measured using the Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R), the Post-Traumatic Symptom Scale 10 (PTSS-10) and the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II).

Patients and participants: A total of 135 peritonitis patients were eligible for this study, of whom 107 (80%) patients completed the questionnaire. The median APACHE-II score was 14 (range 12-16), and 89% were admitted to the ICU.

Measurements and results: The proportion of patients with "moderate" PTSD symptom scores was 28% (95% CI 20-37), whilst 10% (95% CI 6-17) of patients had "high" PTSD symptom scores. Only 5% (95% CI 2-12) of the patients expressed severe depression symptoms. Factors associated with increased PTSD symptoms in a multivariate ordinal regression model were younger age (0.74 per 10 years older, p=0.082), length of ICU stay (OR=1.4 per doubling of duration, p=0.003) and having some (OR=4.9, p=0.06) or many (OR=55.5, p<0.001) traumatic memories of the ICU or hospital stay.

Conclusion: As many as 38% of patients after abdominal sepsis report elevated levels of PTSD symptoms on at least one of the questionnaires. Our nomogram may assist in identifying patients at increased risk for developing symptoms of PTSD.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flowchart summarizing inclusion and response
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Nomogram for prediction of severity of PTSD symptoms in patients with secondary peritonitis. Graded outcome categories are: none to mild (negative on both instruments), moderate (positive on one instrument), and severe (positive on both instruments)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Distribution of total points from nomogram (risk score) for the prediction of the severity of PTSD symptoms with use of the risk factors taken from the multivariate ordinal model. PTSD categories are graded according to severity: none to mild (negative on both instruments), moderate (positive on one instrument), severe (positive on both instruments)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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