Evacuation Time and Tourniquet Use as Risk Factors for PTSD in Combat-Related Amputation
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- This is an observational study: the protocol does not assign a study treatment.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Amputation, PTSD, Combat Posttraumatic Stess Disorder, Combat Trauma. Basic parameters: 18 years — 60 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Ukraine
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Evacuation Time and Tourniquet Use as Risk Factors for PTSD in Combat-Related Amputation: A Prospective Cohort Study
Overview
This study aims to evaluate the relationship between evacuation time, tourniquet use, and the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in patients with combat-related amputations. In the context of modern warfare, prolonged evacuation times and extended tourniquet application may contribute not only to physical injury but also to psychological trauma. The study will prospectively follow patients over 18 months to identify key predictors of PTSD and to assess their interaction.
Detailed description
Combat-related amputations are frequently associated with prolonged evacuation times and the use of hemostatic tourniquets. While these factors are critical for survival, their potential contribution to long-term psychological outcomes remains insufficiently studied.
This prospective longitudinal study will investigate how evacuation delays and tourniquet duration influence the development of PTSD symptoms in Ukrainian veterans with limb amputations. The study will also evaluate the interaction between these factors and their cumulative psychological impact.
Participants will be followed for 18 months using validated PTSD screening tools, including the PCL-5 questionnaire, combined with retrospective analysis of medical records.
Primary outcome measures
- PTSD severity measured by PCL-5 score [Time frame: 18 months (baseline, 2, 6, 12, and 18 months follow-up)]
Secondary outcome measures (1)
- Change in PTSD Severity Over Time [Time frame: Baseline to 18 months]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Ukrainian veterans with combat-related injury (post-February 2022)
- Single limb amputation
- Admission to rehabilitation within 2-4 months post-injury
- Age ≥18 years
- Ability to provide informed consent
Exclusion criteria
- Prior PTSD diagnosis before current injury
- Multiple amputations
- Rehabilitation duration >3 months
- Return to active military duty before follow-up completion
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
Study locations
Ukraine · 1 center
- Superhumans War Trauma Center — Lviv
Publications
- Blevins CA, Weathers FW, Davis MT, Witte TK, Domino JL. The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5): Development and Initial Psychometric Evaluation. J Trauma Stress. 2015 Dec;28(6):489-98. doi: 10.1002/jts.22059. Epub 2015 Nov 25. PMID 26606250
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07502313 · 1303v04032026 · Superhumans war trauma center