Research showed that more than 30% of patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) do not benefit from evidence- based treatments: Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). These are patients with prolonged and multiple traumatization, with poor verbal memory, and patients with emotional over-modulation. Retelling traumatic experiences in detail is poorly tolerated by these patients and might be a reason for not starting or not completing the recommended treatments. Due to lack of evidence, no alternative treatments are recommended yet. Art therapy may offer an alternative and suitable treatment, because the nonverbal and experiential character of art therapy appears to be an appropriate approach to the often wordless and visual nature of traumatic memories. The objective of this pilot study was to test the acceptability, feasibility, and applicability of trauma-focused art therapy for adults with PTSD due to multiple and prolonged traumatization (patients with early childhood traumatization and refugees from different cultures). Another objective was to identify the preliminary effectiveness of art therapy. Results showed willingness to participate and adherence to treatment of patients. Therapists considered trauma-focused art therapy feasible and applicable and patients reported beneficial effects, such as more relaxation, externalization of memories and emotions into artwork, less intrusive thoughts of traumatic experiences and more confidence in the future. The preliminary findings on PTSD symptom severity showed a decrease of symptoms in some participants, and an increase of symptoms in other participants. Further research into the effectiveness of art therapy and PTSD is needed.
Of all patients in a hospital environment, trauma patients may be particularly at risk for developing (device-related) pressure ulcers (PUs), because of their traumatic injuries, immobility, and exposure to immobilizing and medical devices. Studies on device-related PUs are scarce. With this study, the incidence and characteristics of PUs and the proportion of PUs that are related to devices in adult trauma patients with suspected spinal injury were described. From January–December 2013, 254 trauma patients were visited every 2 days for skin assessment. The overall incidence of PUs was 28⋅3% (n = 72/254 patients). The incidence of device-related PUs was 20⋅1% (n = 51), and 13% (n = 33) developed solely device-related PUs. We observed 145 PUs in total of which 60⋅7% were related to devices (88/145). Device-related PUs were detected 16 different locations on the front and back of the body. These results show that the incidence of PUs and the proportion of device-related PUs is very high in trauma patients
Purpose Non-technical skills have gained attention, since enhancement of these skills is presumed to improve the process of trauma resuscitation. However, the reliability of assessing non-technical skills is underexposed, especially when using video analysis. Therefore, our primary aim was to assess the reliability of the Trauma Non-Technical Skills (T-NOTECHS) tool by video analysis. Secondarily, we investigated to what extent reliability increased when the T-NOTECHS was assessed by three assessors [average intra-class correlation (ICC)] instead of one (individual ICC). Methods As calculated by a pre-study power analysis, 18 videos were reviewed by three research assistants using the T-NOTECHS tool. Average and individual degree of agreement of the assessors was calculated using a two-way mixed model ICC. Results Average ICC was ‘excellent’ for the overall score and all five domains. Individual ICC was classified as ‘excellent’ for the overall score. Of the five domains, only one was classified as ‘excellent’, two as ‘good’ and two were even only ‘fair’. Conclusions Assessment of non-technical skills using the T-NOTECHS is reliable using video analysis and has an excellent reliability for the overall T-NOTECHS score. Assessment by three raters further improve the reliability, resulting in an excellent reliability for all individual domains.
De spoedeisende hulp (SEH) is een unieke werkomgeving waar zorgprofessionals 24/7 klaarstaan voor acute en levensbedreigende situaties. De constante stroom van patiënten vereist alertheid en elke dienst brengt onvoorspelbare uitdagingen met zich mee. Dit vraagt om expertise, flexibiliteit, veerkracht en samenwerking. Zorgprofessionals ervaren daarnaast ook de hoge werkdruk, emotionele belasting en agressie, wat kan leiden tot stressklachten, uitputting en een hoog verloop. Blootstelling aan potentieel traumatische gebeurtenissen verhoogt de kans op posttraumatische stressklachten. Tegelijkertijd bevinden patiënten op de SEH zich vaak in een kwetsbare en stressvolle situatie. Onderbelicht zijn hierbij de psychisch ontregelde patiënten, juist voor hen kunnen de hectiek en pragmatische en somatisch georiënteerde aanpak op een SEH contraproductief en traumatiserend werken. Zij lijden onder stigma en vooroordelen rondom psychische problemen. Omgaan met complexe gedragsbeelden die vaak samengaan met psychische ontregeling, vereist emotioneel beschikbare, alerte en deskundige zorgprofessionals met behandel- en regulatievaardigheden. Een gezonde en veilige werkomgeving is cruciaal, maar de hectiek en onvoorspelbaarheid op de SEH zullen altijd bestaan. Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) heeft als focus om trauma bij patiënten én zorgprofessionals tijdig te herkennen en aan te pakken. De toepassing van TIC op een SEH staat nog in de kinderschoenen. We weten nog onvoldoende wat nodig is om TIC toe te passen op de SEH om bij te dragen aan een veilige en gezonde werkomgeving voor zorgprofessionals en een verhoogd welzijn voor zowel zorgprofessionals als patiënten op de SEH. Met dit project ontwikkelen we een TIC-programma voor de SEH. Voor de ontwikkeling van TIC naar de SEH-context wordt gebruik gemaakt van het Medical Research Council raamwerk waarbinnen kwalitatief onderzoek wordt gedaan door middel van literatuuronderzoek, participatieve observaties, actieonderzoek, interviews en focusgroepen. Het project levert, in samenspraak met management, zorgprofessionals en ervaringsdeskundigen, een context-sensitief programma op, waarmee TIC bij op SEH’s in Nederland geïmplementeerd kan worden.
