Have access already?

Get access to this chapter:

Or get access to the entire book:

3: Medical Trauma Factors: Diagnoses and Procedures

DOI:

10.1891/9780826128942.0003

Abstract

This chapter explores each level of trauma by highlighting unique characteristics of specific diagnoses, procedures, and medical events. Many studies of gynecological and obstetrical trauma include an examination of patient risk factors that may contribute to the experience of a procedure as traumatic. Depending on the nature of the accident, patients may experience permanent injuries, chronic pain, and disabilities that can affect their lives in many ways, including the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when an external force to the head causes injury to the brain, including damage to cells, brain structures, bleeding, and clots that can cause coma, nerve death, and a staggering number of intellectual, behavioral, and social problems. Medical trauma in the primary care setting can manifest differently depending on patients’ risk factors, past and current physical and mental health diagnoses, and prior history of medical trauma.