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Heart rate of motor vehicle accident survivors in the emergency department, peritraumatic psychological reactions, ASD, and PTSD severity: A 6‐month prospective study
Author(s) -
Kuhn Eric,
Blanchard Edward B.,
Fuse Tiffany,
Hickling Edward J.,
Broderick John
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1002/jts.20150
Subject(s) - acute stress disorder , heart rate , emergency department , distress , psychological distress , medicine , poison control , injury prevention , psychiatry , psychology , posttraumatic stress , clinical psychology , medical emergency , anxiety , blood pressure
Abstract This small‐scale study investigates the relationships between the heart rate of motor vehicle accident survivors presenting in the emergency department (ED) and acute stress disorder (ASD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity. It also examines the relationships between the survivor's heart rate in the ED and peritraumatic dissociation and peritraumatic distress reported 2 weeks posttrauma. Fifty motor vehicle accident (MVA) survivors were assessed 2 weeks, 1 ( N = 42), 3 ( N = 37), and 6 months ( N = 37) post‐MVA. The heart rate in the ED predicted self‐reported ASD symptom severity and clinician‐rated PTSD symptom severity at 6 months but not at 1 or 3 months. Survivors' heart rate in the ED was significantly correlated with peritraumatic dissociation but not peritraumatic distress. These findings support the role of elevated ED heart rate as a predictor of both ASD and chronic PTSD symptom severity and may help to clarify the discrepant findings of previous research.