Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) involves intrusive thoughts, nightmares and flashbacks of traumatic events that interfere with daily activities. PTSD has been described most commonly after combat and assault, but is also described after medical intervention, particularly admission to the intensive care unit. The goal of this study was to assess prevalence of PTSD after vaginal delivery and compare women who did and did not experience postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). METHODS: Patients who had a singleton vaginal delivery who were English speaking and greater than 18 years old were identified between 1/1/2013 and 12/31/2014. Of these 4,738 patients, 339 had a PPH defined as an estimated blood loss greater than 500 ml. Surveys were sent to all PPH patients and 2000 of the non-PPH patients. Total response rate was 442, or 19.6%. The survey included questions regarding the delivery as well as the PCL-C, a validated PTSD questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to compare those with clinically significant PTSD symptoms in those with and without PPH. RESULTS: Patients who experienced PPH were more likely to have fear of extra bleeding again (P<.0001) and fear of becoming pregnant again (P=.001). Those who had PPH were more than two times more likely to have a moderate or severe PCL-C score (OR 2.85). CONCLUSION: Understanding the prevalence of PTSD both after vaginal delivery and PPH will create awareness for providers to diagnose and treat these patients in the postpartum setting.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call