Work

Nurse-Led Longitudinal Screening and Care Transitions for Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms After Acute Type A Aortic Dissection: A 12-Month Retrospective Longitudinal Cohort Study

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Objective: To identify longitudinal trajectories of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) after acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) and to examine baseline and time-varying psychological factors associated with subsequent symptom burden in a nurse-led follow-up cohort. Methods: This single-center retrospective longitudinal cohort study included 278 ATAAD survivors discharged from Henan Provincial Chest Hospital between 1 August 2023 and 30 July 2024. Clinical and nurse-led follow-up records through 1 August 2025 were reviewed for assessments at discharge and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. The primary trajectory analysis used PCL-5 scores from 1 to 12 months among participants with at least two valid assessments. One- through four-class latent class mixed models were compared according to convergence, Bayesian information criterion, classification quality, and minimum class size. Baseline correlates were examined with multinomial regression. Lagged models separated between-person means from within-person changes in illness threat, insomnia, and repetitive negative thinking; social support was examined across the 3-to-6-month interval. Results: A three-class solution was selected: low-decreasing (n=153, 55.0%), recovering (n=77, 27.7%), and persistent-high (n=48, 17.3%). Within-person increases in illness threat, insomnia, and repetitive negative thinking were associated with higher subsequent PCL-5 scores, whereas higher social support was associated with a lower subsequent score. Baseline associations were attenuated after multiplicity correction. Conclusion: The model identified three PTSS trajectories during the first year after ATAAD discharge. Repeated nurse-led assessment may help identify survivors with a persistent symptom burden, and changes in illness threat, insomnia, repetitive negative thinking, and social support may inform the timing and focus of transitional care. The effectiveness of screening or targeted care was not tested.

Source: Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare

DOI: 10.2147/jmdh.s648723

Authors: Hao Tang, Yongting Wang, Tiantian Jia, Mengdan Ma, Faming He

Institution: Henan Provincial Chest Hospital

Language: English

Topic: Aortic Disease and Treatment Approaches

Subfield: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,836