Patterns of illness explaining the associations between posttraumatic stress disorder and the use of CT.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To examine the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and computed tomography (CT) utilization and to determine whether there were patterns of comorbid illness that could explain the relationship.

Materials and methods

The study was approved by the University of Iowa Institutional Review Board and the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Medical Center Research and Development Committee. By using a retrospective cohort design, a national sample of new veteran enrollees aged 18-35 years was studied. Associations were examined between the presence of PTSD, receipt of at least one and multiple CT scans, comorbid medical conditions (eg, abdominal pain, headaches), and measures of health care utilization (eg, primary care, emergency room, and mental health visits

SUBMITTER: Abrams TE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3632804 | biostudies-literature | 2013 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature