Gender Differences in Acute Somatic and Psychological Reactions to Moderate Orthopedic Injuries

Abstract

Background:It has been shown that the risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in patients with severe trauma is higher among females than among males. However, it is less well known whether there is a gender difference in acute psychological reactions after trauma among patients with less severe injuries. The aim of this study was to investigate whether female and male patients experience somatic and psychological symptoms differently following moderate orthopedic injury. Patients and Methods: 432 patients, 268 males and 164 females (age: 15-65 years), with moderate orthopedic injuries were included. During the first days of hospitalization, the patients were interviewed regarding background data and asked to rate their somatic and psychological symptoms by means of a visual analog scale (VAS). Information about the injury was obtained from the patients' medical records. Results: The background data and the injuries were similar in both sexes. Women reported higher VAS scores for both somatic and psychiatric symptoms during hospitalization than males. Women had about double the risk of males of having a VAS ≥ 40 even if age, injury severity, education, and alcohol dependency were taken into consideration. Conclusions: Our results suggest that gender differences in somatic and psychological reactions during the acute phase after an orthopedic injury are apparent and should be taken into consideration when treating acutely injured patients.