Post-traumatic stress disorder in children: early recognition and coordination of medical care in the conditions of war

At the current stage, when military operations continue and there is possible development of various manifestations of psychotraumatic stress disorders in children, the acuteness and urgency of solving the problem determines the need for early recognition of the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, due to its frequency and high risk and indicators of negative consequences. Purpose - to improve the quality of life of children in wartime conditions by early recognition of symptoms of the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder and increasing the awareness of primary care physicians about this condition and coordination of medical and psychological care. Materials and methods. Practical guidelines on the early recognition of symptoms of the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder in children are presented in the national Adapted clinical guideline based on evidence (2016), Unified clinical protocol (primary, secondary (specialized) and tertiary highly specialized medical care) (2019), as well as the guidelines of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Improvement of Great Britain (NICE, 2018) and information from PubMed databases, UpTo Date. For determining these recommendations the new version of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) was taken into account. Results. An analysis of clinical guidelines and scientific literature related to the study of post-traumatic stress disorder in children, in particular, its early recognition by primary care physicians, was carried out. The question of the peculiarities of the clinical course of psychotraumatic disorders depending on the time of their appearance after a traumatic event and the age of children is highlighted. In the context of the time that has passed since the traumatic event and the age of the children, a screening program for the early recognition of symptoms of the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder, which require immediate response by primary care workers, is presented. Special attention was paid to children from war zones, geographically remote regions, displaced persons, refugees. Conclusions. Early conducting of a short screening assessment of the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder in children, a timely decision on the provision of medical and psychological assistance, will contribute to the improvement of their quality of life in wartime conditions. No conflict or interests was declared by the authors.