Abstract
Introduction: Psychological problems and psychosocial after-effects on patients with long duration bone and joint infections do usually go unnoticed at first to doctors. Given the precedence of the traumatic injury, psychological problems are not well valued so they don’t get the needed attention that could be useful for patients. We’re submitting an initial study about psychological alterations on these patients.
Objetive: Valuing psychological alterations on patients with osteoarticular infections.
Material and Methods: Descriptive and retrospective study about psychological alterations on patients treated in the bone and Joint infections unit of a work accident mutual insurance hospital. We selected the 59 patients which required psychological assistance during the year 2008. Results have been obtained after checking their psychological medical histories. We evaluated the type and seriousness of psychological alterations, time elapsed until psychological assistance was given, previous psychological profile of the patients and social and labor characteristics of them all.
Results: Patients were mostly men, married, with a mean age of 38, with basic education and unskilled occupations. Time elapsed from accident to psychological evaluation was greater than three months in more than the 50% of the patients. 80% of them had no previous psychopatological disorders. Concerning toxic habits, smoking was the most frequent; 4 of them used drugs occasionally and 2 patients were alcoholic. Psychopatological alterations detected were 15 cases of depression, 22 cases of anxiety, 15 cases of adaptative disorder and 7 cases of other types. Patients biggest worry was uncertainty about their future, followed by possible physical limitations. 4 patients have rebuilt their work life according to their disabilities.
Conclusions: Early psychological assistance is useful in the treatment of osteoarticular infections. It’s necessary to plan a career guidance for those patients.
Correspondence should be addressed to Vienna Medical Academy, Alser Strasse 4, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. Phone: +43 1 4051383 0, Fax: +43 1 4078274, Email: ebjis2009@medacad.org
