There is another symptom of acute trauma that can be easily missed if you are not on the lookout for it that strongly predicts the development of later PTSD.

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Shock waves emanating from bomb blasts can cause bruises to the lungs and intestines that don't become symptomatic for a day or two after a blast, said Babak Sarani, chief of trauma and acute surgery at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.

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Ketamine is also used to treat acute pain after significant tissue trauma, either as the result of surgery or an accident.

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While the drug industry has tested dozens of compounds to treat the acute phases of stroke and brain trauma, only a few medicines for lifting patients out of vegetative states have been brought into large-scale trials.

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But on the other hand, the anxieties, the trauma, what we call an acute stress disorder, even post-traumatic stress symptoms, can occur.

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Brandon was pronounced dead at Ninewells Hospital having suffered fatal acute peritonitis caused by a ruptured intestine brought on by blunt force abdominal trauma.

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