Effects of Sevoflurane and Propofol on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder After Emergency Trauma: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a frequent and disabling consequence of traumatic events. A previous study found that early use of propofol was a potential risk factor for PTSD. This prospective study aimed to investigate the effect of propofol and sevoflurane on PTSD after emergency surgery in trauma patients.

Methods: A total of 300 trauma patients undergoing emergency surgery were randomly divided into two groups and anesthetized with propofol and/or sevoflurane. Perioperative clinical data were collected. The incidence of PTSD was evaluated with the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) in the two groups 1 month after the operation. The relevance of the injury time and CAPS-5 scores was assessed by Spearman correlation analysis. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors for PTSD.

Results: The incidence of PTSD in the propofol group was higher than that in the sevoflurane group 1 month postoperatively (23.2 vs. 12.2%, = 0.014). The injury time was negatively correlated with the CAPS-5 score in the propofol group ( = 0.226 < 0.001). In the logistic regression analysis, the utilization of propofol was an independent risk factor for PTSD ( = 0.017).

Conclusion: Early use of propofol general anesthesia in emergency surgery for trauma patients may increase the risk of PTSD.

Clinical Trial Registration: www.chictr.org.cn, identifier: ChiCTR2100050202.