12. ABSTRATCT
INTRODUCTION – Trauma Surgery is a very intense, demanding and challenging field.
Trauma surgeon’s deal with a wide variety of trauma cases like assaults, GSW’s, MVC’s
and a couple of unfortunate deaths. In handling critical and emergency patients, Trauma
Surgeons deal with a lot of stress and coping up to the stress becomes difficult making
them susceptible to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is complex somatic,
cognitive, affective and behavioral effects of traumatic stress.
OBJECTIVE – The main objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of PTSD
among Trauma surgeons who are members of ASST and the Eastern Trauma Society.
METHODS – The prevalence of PTSD will be assed by successful completion of a
questionnaire based on the Demographic and Professional Characteristics ie age, sex,
numbers of years of practice and Post Traumatic Diagnostic Checklist which will be
circulated among all the Trauma surgeons who are members of ASST and Eastern
Trauma Society via email. Completed responses will be analyzed for the prevalence of
PTSD among trauma surgeons.
RESULT - It is expected that PTSD does exist in varying degree in Trauma Surgeons based
on the difference in sex, age and number of years of practice.
