Pediatric medical traumatic stress Flashcards
Is PMTS a formal diagnosis?
NOT a formal diagnosis
How does PMTS differ from PTSD?
PTSD is a formal diagnosis in DSM. PMTS is not a formal diagnosis, it’s a set of psychological and physiological responses of children and their families to pain/injury/illness/med procedures/invasive/frightening treatment
Be familiar with the integrative trajectory model of pediatric medical traumatic stress. (Know the three phases) (Know the most common and least common trajectories)
3 phases: Peritrauma (the thing that happened, diagnosis, etc.), Acute medical care (going to hospital and getting treatment), Ongoing care/discharge from care (what happens after treatment, the aftermath)
4 trajectories in order from most to least common: Resilient (best outcome, most common), recovery (second most common, after discharge you have some struggles but it ends up getting better after awhile - around 6 months), chronic (third most common, gets bad and stays there), and Escalating (gets bad, then gets worse - least common)
Where is most of the knowledge about PMTS learned from?
Most of the research on injuries and cancer, but growing literature in other areas (e.g., diabetes, burn, critical care units, stem cell transplants)
Be familiar with the risk factors for PMTS.
Subjective appraisals of trauma severity and life threat, Length of hospital stay, Cortisol levels, preexisting psychosocial difficulties, Prior exposure to a potentially traumatic event, Poor family functioning, Age (mixed support)
Be familiar with the symptoms of PMTS.
Re-experiencing (unwanted intrusive thoughts, nightmares and flashbacks), Avoidance (avoiding thinking or talking about illness, displaying less interest in usual activities, feeling emotionally numb or detached from others), Hyper Arousal (increased irritability, trouble concentrating, etc.)
Know how PMTS relates to the parents of the ill or injured child.
Assess family distress and other life stressors, identify family strengths and coping resources, encourage parents to use own coping resources or support available at the hospital or in the community
