title: Variceal haemorrhage and post-traumatic stress disorder.
abstract: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is thought to be relatively common following extremely distressing life-threatening events. Patients with liver cirrhosis can experience severe brisk variceal haemorrhage during which they vomit litres of blood and may exsanguinate. We predicted that a significant proportion of survivors would suffer from PTSD.
  
  
  
  PTSD assessment of 30 patients who had a haematemesis of more than four units of blood secondary to variceal bleeding and were fully conscious at the time of the bleed.
  
  
  
  Structured Clinical Diagnostic Interview (SCID-DSM-III-R) and self-report measures.
  
  
  
  Most found the experience distressing, but only 1 out of 30 patients fulfilled DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria for PTSD.
  
  
  
  PTSD in a sample of patients who survived life-threatening variceal haemorrhage is much rarer than might reasonably have been anticipated. Possible reasons for this low prevalence of PTSD are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, UK. ronan@st-andrews.ac.uk
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: O'Carroll
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Masterton
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gooday
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cossar
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Couston
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Hayes
mesh_terms: D001293:Attitude to Death; D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006396:Hematemesis / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous; D012494:Sampling Studies; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006113:United Kingdom