Detection of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Patients After Discharge From Intensive Care.

Background: Despite emphasis on identifying personal and clinical characteristics that place patients at higher risk for posttraumatic stress syndrome after intensive care, the extent of screening for the syndrome in intensive care patients is unknown.

Objectives: To examine the feasibility and acceptability of a screening tool to detect posttraumatic stress syndrome, screen for the syndrome soon after discharge from intensive care to identify patients at risk for post-traumatic stress disorder, and determine personal and clinical factors related to higher scores on the screening instrument.

Methods: A single-center, cross-sectional design was used.

Posttraumatic stress syndrome associated with stays in the intensive care unit: importance of nurses' involvement.

More patients in the intensive care unit are surviving their critical illnesses because of advances in medical care. This change in survival has led to an increased awareness of the emotional consequences of being critically ill. Posttraumatic stress disorder has been identified in approximately 9% to 27% of critically ill patients compared with 7% of the general US population.

Adjunctive intranasal oxytocin reduces symptoms in schizophrenia patients.

Background: Both human and animal studies suggest oxytocin may have antipsychotic properties. Therefore, we conducted a clinical trial to directly test this notion.

Methods: Nineteen schizophrenia patients with residual symptoms despite being on a stable dose of at least one antipsychotic were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, crossover study.