RESUMEN
Recent studies have shown a partial similarity between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alexithymia. In this study, the authors examined the relationship between PTSD and alexithymia in two samples of 26 patients with burn injury and 27 patients with digit amputation during rehabilitation. The prevalence rates of DSM-III-R PTSD and alexithymia assessed by the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) were significantly higher for injury patients than for healthy volunteers. The rate of PTSD symptoms of avoidance and emotional numbing was significantly and positively correlated with the TAS scores in injury patients. The PTSD symptoms of avoidance and emotional numbing had a significant relationship with function after digit replantation. Alexithymia also had a similar relationship with physical conditions. These results suggest that 1) in some cases, alexithymia may be evident when PTSD emotional symptoms appear in injury patients, and 2) emotional disturbances (i.e., PTSD symptoms of avoidance and emotional numbing and alexithymia) may be influenced by the level of functional recovery after digit replantation.
Asunto(s)
Síntomas Afectivos/psicología , Amputación Traumática/psicología , Quemaduras/psicología , Traumatismos de los Dedos/psicología , Trastornos por Estrés Postraumático/psicología , Adulto , Amputación Traumática/rehabilitación , Reacción de Prevención , Quemaduras/rehabilitación , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Femenino , Traumatismos de los Dedos/rehabilitación , Humanos , Masculino , Prevalencia , Escalas de Valoración PsiquiátricaRESUMEN
We examined symptoms of posttraumatic stress and alexithymia in a sample of 24 burn patients. Of these burn patients, those in the chronic phase (more than 10 months after the burn) indicated alexithymia more strongly. Among symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, symptoms of avoidance and emotional numbing were also stronger in patients in the chronic phase. The manifestation of the alexithymic features was closely related to symptoms of avoidance and emotional numbing. These findings suggest the possibility that alexithymia as a state reaction may be evident when avoidance and emotional numbing appear among symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
Asunto(s)
Síntomas Afectivos/psicología , Quemaduras/psicología , Trastornos por Estrés Postraumático/psicología , Adaptación Psicológica , Adulto , Síntomas Afectivos/diagnóstico , Quemaduras/rehabilitación , Enfermedad Crónica , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Determinación de la Personalidad , Autoimagen , Rol del Enfermo , Trastornos por Estrés Postraumático/diagnósticoRESUMEN
The electrocardiogram (ECG) is used as a standard monitoring method during anesthesia and operation. But during the operation of severely burnt patients, the electrodes for ECG cannot be placed on the ideal points for the standard limb leads. We tried the indirect monitoring of the ECG. We placed the electrodes on the sheet over the operating table, and connected the patient and the electrodes with water. By this way the ECG similar to the standard limb leads could be recorded. This method is useful for the patients, with such diseases as severe burn, severe atopic dermatitis and epidermolysis bullosa hereditaria.