One Year After Mild Injury: Comparison of Health Status and Quality of Life Between Patients with Whiplash Versus Other Injuries

• Published in: Journal of rheumatology 2014-03, Vol.41 (3), p.528-538
• Main Authors: HOURS, Martine, KHATI, Inès, CHARNAY, Pierrette, CHOSSEGROS, Laetitia, TARDY, Hélène, TOURNIER, Charlène, PERRINE, Anne-Laure, LUAUTE, Jacques, LAUMON, Bernard
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Family; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health Status; Humans; Injury Severity Score; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Quality of Life; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - diagnosis; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Transport. Aerospace. Diving. Altitude; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents; Whiplash Injuries - physiopathology; Whiplash Injuries - psychology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0315-162X; 1499-2752
• DOI: 10.3899/jrheum.130406

To compare health status, effect on family, occupational consequences, and quality of life (QOL) 1 year after an accident between patients with whiplash versus other mild injuries, and to explore the relationship between initial injury (whiplash vs other) and QOL. This was a prospective cohort study. The study used data from the ESPARR cohort (a representative cohort of road accident victims) and included 173 individuals with "pure" whiplash and 207 with other mild injuries. QOL at 1-year followup was assessed on the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire. Correlations between explanatory variables and QOL were explored by Poisson regression to provide adjusted relative risks, with ANOVA for the various QOL scores explored. One year post-accident, more patients who had whiplash than other casualties complained of nonrecovery of health status (56% vs 43%) and of the occupational effect of pain (31% vs 23%). QOL and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were similar in the 2 groups. Impaired QOL did not correlate with whiplash when models were adjusted on sociodemographic variables and history of psychological distress. Whatever the initial lesion, PTSD was a determining factor for poorer QOL. Sociodemographic factors, preaccident psychological history prior to the accident, and PTSD were the main factors influencing QOL, rather than whether the injury was whiplash. PTSD may also be related to pain.