title: Screening for traumatic stress among survivors of urban trauma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study piloted the use of the Primary Care PTSD (PC-PTSD) screening tool in an outpatient setting to determine its utility for broader use and to gather data on traumatic stress symptoms among direct (patients) and indirect (families) survivors of traumatic injuries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the PC-PTSD plus one question exploring openness to seeking help, participants were screened for PTSD in the outpatient clinic of an urban Level 1 trauma center. The survey was distributed during a 23-week period from April to September 2011. The screen was self-administered, a sample of convenience, and participation was voluntary and anonymous.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With a response rate of 66%, 307 surveys were completed. Forty-two percent of participants had a positive screen. Patients greater than 30 and 90 days from injury had 1.5 and 1.7 times more positive screens than those less than 30 days. Patients with gunshot wounds were 13 times as likely as those with falls and twice as likely as those in a motor vehicle crash to have a positive screen. Sixty percent of patients with a positive screen noted it would be helpful to talk to someone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PC-PTSD was an easy to administer screening tool. Patients reported PTSD symptoms at higher rates than previous studies. Patients with gunshot wounds and those injured greater than 30 days from the time of the screen were more likely to report PTSD symptoms. Although males represented 82% of positive screens, there was no statistical difference in PTSD symptoms between male and female participants because of the small number of females represented. Families also reported significant levels of PTSD. Both patients and families may benefit from additional screening and intervention in the early posttrauma period.
authors: Department of Trauma, John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA. carol.reese@hektoen.org
authors: Carol
authors: C
authors: Reese
authors: Tabitha
authors: T
authors: Pederson
authors: Susan
authors: S
authors: Avila
authors: Kimberly
authors: K
authors: Joseph
authors: Kimberly
authors: K
authors: Nagy
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: Dennis
authors: Dorion
authors: D
authors: Wiley
authors: Frederic
authors: F
authors: Starr
authors: Faran
authors: F
authors: Bokhari
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D017741:Survivors; D014193:Trauma Centers; D014505:Urban Population; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D055815:Young Adult