title: [Posttraumatic stress disorder: diagnostic criteria].
abstract: This article reviews aspects of the clinical characterization of the Postttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The disgnostic criteria used in DSM-IV and ICD-10 are presented. The Acute Reaction to Stress is defined and contrasted to the operational criteria which define the PTSD. The importance of the partial expression of the PTSD syndrome in victims of trauma is highlighted. Systematic studies within this patient population is characterized as a unmet need in public health. Addressing such a need is a major step towards the proper diagnosis and treatment of this clinical syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Psiquiatria Experimental, Centro de Pesquisa, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Flávio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kapczinski
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Margis
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013997:Time Factors