Self-inflicted burns in patients with chronic combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder

Braš, Marijana and Lončar, Zoran and Boban, Maja and Gregurek, Rudolf and Brajković, Lovorka and Tomičić, Hrvoje and Muljačić, Ante and Mičković, Vlatko and Kalenić, Barbara (2007) Self-inflicted burns in patients with chronic combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder. Collegium Antropologicum, 31 (4). pp. 1173-1177. ISSN 0350-6134

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Abstract

This study examined self-inflicted burns in case series of four patients with chronic combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Those patients were hospitalized in the Burn Unit of the University Hospital of Traumatology in Zagreb because of severe burns and had a premorbid psychiatric history of PTSD. Demographic data and information regarding the circumstances surrounding the incident, burn severity, treatment and outcomes of these patients were collected. The authors have analyzed possible impacts of the sensationalistic way in which media present cases of self-inflicted burning that induce other, new cases of this suicide type, known in the literature as "Werther's syndrome". The importance of multidisciplinary approach in the treatment of burn patients is stressed with emphasis on the important role of liaison psychiatrist in treating these patients. It is necessary to educate media people to avoid sensational reporting on this kind of events. Continuous psychiatric treatment of vulnerable individuals could be useful in prevention of self-inflicted burns.

Abstract in Croatian

U ovom su radu analizirana samozapaljenja kod četiri bolesnika s kroničnim posttraumatskim stresnim poremećajem (PTSP). Ovi su bolesnici hospitalizirani na Odjelu za opekline Klinike za traumatologiju u Zagrebu zbog ozbiljnih opeklina, a imali su premorbidnu psihijatrijsku povijest PTSP-a. Kod svih bolesnika prikupljeni su demografski podaci, podaci o okolnostima ozljeđivanja, karakteristikama opeklina te tijeku i ishodu liječenja. Autori su analizirali mogući utjecaj senzacionalističkog prikazivanja samozapaljenja bolesnika kao mogućeg faktora induciranja novih slučajeva pokušaja suicida, poznatog u literaturi kao Wertherov sindrom. Naglašena je važnost multidisciplinarnog pristupa u liječenju opeklinskih bolesnika s važnom ulogom suradnog psihijatra. Nužna je edukacija novinara u cilju sprječavanja senzacionalističkog izvještavanja o ovakvim događajima. Kontinuirano psihijatrijsko liječenje vulnerabilnih bolesnika može biti korisno u prevenciji samozapaljenja.

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