Every year in France, one person in ten goes to the emergency room with a traumafollowing an accident. The majority of patients suffered only minor injuries. On the other hand, some of them suffer long after the shock-related injuries have healed: headaches, uncontrollable fears or even various pains, vision problems, balance problems or irritability. “When symptoms occur together in the same context, they constitute what is called a syndrome” explains Emmanuel Lagarde.
Following a traumatwo syndromes may appear: post-concussion syndrome (PCS), which occurs after a mild head injury, and post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), encountered in people exposed to a stressful situation during which their life , or that of another person, is endangered.
Post-traumatic stress syndrome can be better understood
In this study, 1,300 people admitted to the emergency room of the Bordeaux hospital center between 2007 and 2009 were contacted 3 months after their accident. More than 500 suffered from mild traumatic brain injury when admitted to hospital, the others from various injuries, all of mild or moderate severity. The researchers measured the occurrence of 36 symptoms that fall under the definitions of PCS or PTSD.
“Post-concussion syndrome (PCS) does not deserve its name since, on the one hand, the symptoms that compose it are not specific to head trauma and, on the other hand, they do not occur concomitantly. It seems that the PCS is actually only part of the post-traumatic stress disorder” explains Emmanuel Lagarde, research director at Inserm.
the post traumatic stress disordere occurs in 2% of injured people, and this figure rises to 9% when the trauma is cranial. In addition, it is more common in women and in people who have had a road accident or been assaulted. It is also influenced by the physical and mental state of the patient. And it really changes the quality of life of patients.
“This is why it is important to better describe these syndromes and their origin, especially since their identification also has important consequences in terms of insurance, compensation, but also policies for the care and reintegration of patients”, emphasizes Emmanuel Lagarde.
