Heart rate as a predictor of posttraumatic stress disorder in children.
OBJECTIVE
This study indexed the relationship between resting heart rates (HRs) after injury and subsequent posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children.


METHODS
Children aged between 7 and 12 years who were hospitalized after traumatic injury (n=76) had their resting HR assessed after injury and were assessed for PTSD 6 months after injury (n=62).


RESULTS
Full/subsyndromal PTSD was diagnosed in 27% of children. Children with full/subsyndromal PTSD had higher HRs after trauma than those without PTSD. Children with an elevated HR were more likely to develop PTSD after controlling for age, sex and injury severity (adjusted odds ratio=5.89).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings accord with the proposal that fear conditioning shortly after trauma contributes to PTSD in children.
Bryant
Richard A
RA
School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, NSW 2052, Australia. r.bryant@unsw.edu.au
Salmon
Karen
K
Sinclair
Emma
E
Davidson
Patricia
P
D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D013610:Tachycardia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*