http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/09/critically-ill-baby-lead-posttraumatic-stress-disorder-parents.html Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:00:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/09/critically-ill-baby-lead-posttraumatic-stress-disorder-parents.html#comment-111541 MWAS Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:57:32 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40021#comment-111541 PTSD can happen to any parent of a hospitalized child. I have parents who exhibit symptoms after treatment of childhood cancers, PICU admissions, asthma exacerbations, and one parent in my practice was hospitalized for PTSD after her child was admitted for Rotavirus. To the uninitiated, any floor space in a hospital can feel like a war zone. Constant vital checks, alarming pulse oximeters, 5 AM wake-up calls for routine labs all contribute to these feelings. Some parents seem more vulnerable to PTSD than others. On the other hand, higher acuity admissions, like NICU admits, contribute, too. Thus, the balance exists between treating patients to the best of our abilities and treating their parents. PTSD can happen to any parent of a hospitalized child. I have parents who exhibit symptoms after treatment of childhood cancers, PICU admissions, asthma exacerbations, and one parent in my practice was hospitalized for PTSD after her child was admitted for Rotavirus. To the uninitiated, any floor space in a hospital can feel like a war zone. Constant vital checks, alarming pulse oximeters, 5 AM wake-up calls for routine labs all contribute to these feelings. Some parents seem more vulnerable to PTSD than others. On the other hand, higher acuity admissions, like NICU admits, contribute, too. Thus, the balance exists between treating patients to the best of our abilities and treating their parents.

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