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Beta Blocker Administration During Emergency Department Evaluation for Acute Coronary Syndrome Is Associated With Lower Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms 1‐Month Later
Author(s) -
Meli Laura,
Chang Bernard P.,
Shimbo Daichi,
Swan Brendan W.,
Edmondson Donald,
Sumner Jennifer A.
Publication year - 2017
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.22195
Subject(s) - emergency department , medicine , acute coronary syndrome , medical record , beta blocker , cohort , retrospective cohort study , distress , emergency medicine , psychiatry , myocardial infarction , clinical psychology , heart failure
We examined whether beta blocker administration in the emergency department (ED) during evaluation for suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) was associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms 1‐month later. Participants ( N = 350) were enrolled in the Reactions to Acute Care and Hospitalization (REACH) study, an ongoing observational cohort study of ED predictors of medical and psychological outcomes after evaluation for suspected ACS. Beta blockade during evaluation in the ED was extracted from medical records, and PTSD symptoms in response to the experience of suspected ACS were assessed 1‐month later via telephone. Beta blockade in the ED was associated with lower PTSD symptoms 1‐month later, b = −2.80, β = −.09, p = .045, after adjustment for demographics, preexisting psychological and medical covariates, and participants’ distress during ED evaluation. Despite small effects, findings suggest that beta blockade during ED evaluation for suspected ACS—a time period relevant to fear consolidation of the memory of this potentially life‐threatening event—may have protective effects for later psychological health.