Evaluation of BDNF levels in patients hospitalized for physical trauma at an emergency hospital in Porto Alegre, southern Brazil.

Objective: To assess the association between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and acute stress disorder (ASD) in patients who have suffered physical trauma.

Methods: Data were collected at an emergency hospital in Porto Alegre, state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. Participants were over 18 years of age, victims of physical trauma, and had been hospitalized for a minimum of 48 hours.

Acute stress disorder and defense mechanisms: a study of physical trauma patients admitted to an emergency hospital.

Introduction: Acute stress disorder (ASD) encompasses a set of symptoms that can arise in individuals after exposure to a traumatic event. This study assessed the defense mechanisms used by victims of physical trauma who developed ASD.

Method: This was a controlled cross-sectional study of 146 patients who suffered physical trauma and required hospitalization.