Faculty Collaboration Database

Flashbacks after traumatic hand injuries: prognostic indicators. J Hand Surg Am 1988 Jan;13(1):125-7

Date

01/01/1988

Pubmed ID

3351216

DOI

10.1016/0363-5023(88)90215-8

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0023848714 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   47 Citations

Abstract

Flashbacks of a traumatic hand injury may compromise a patient's rehabilitation process. This study examined the nature and significance of these flashbacks in a work-injured population. We also evaluated the ability of these patients to return to work at the site of the original injury. Sixty-one patients with work-related, traumatic hand injuries received psychological evaluation and treatment. All patients experienced flashbacks. The following three types of flashbacks were identified: (1) a replaying of the events occurring just before the accident and continuing until the injury (replay flashbacks), (2) an image of the injured hand just after the trauma occurred (appraisal flashbacks), and (3) images in which an injury that was more severe than the one that actually occurred were perceived (projected flashbacks). Regardless of the result of injury, patients with replay flashbacks were the most likely to return to their former employment (95.2%) after only 4.8 1-hour sessions of psychotherapy for control of symptoms. Patients with a combination of appraisal and projected flashbacks were the least likely to return to work (10.3%), despite the fact they received an average of 13.1 1-hour sessions of psychotherapy.

Author List

Grunert BK, Devine CA, Matloub HS, Sanger JR, Yousif NJ

Authors

Brad K. Grunert PhD Professor in the Plastic Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin
James R. Sanger MD Professor in the Plastic Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Accidents, Occupational
Amputation, Traumatic
Hand Injuries
Humans
Memory
Mental Recall
Prognosis
Psychotherapy