Trauma

Any injury, whether physically or emotionally inflicted. "Trauma" has both a medical and a psychiatric definition. Medically, "trauma" refers to a serious or critical bodily injury, wound, or shock. This definition is often associated with trauma medicine practiced in emergency rooms and represents a popular view of the term. Psychiatrically, "trauma" has assumed a different meaning and refers to an experience that is emotionally painful, distressful, or shocking, which often results in lasting mental and physical effects. Traumatology is the branch of surgery which deals with trauma patients and their injuries. "Trauma" is the Greek word for "a wound" (and for "damage or defeat").

* * *

An injury, physical or mental. SYN: traumatism. [G. wound]

- birth t. 1. physical injury to an infant during its delivery; 2. the supposed emotional injury, inflicted by events incident to birth, upon an infant which allegedly appears in symbolic form in patients with mental illness.

- t. from occlusion a reversible lesion in the periodontium caused by excessive movement of teeth.

- occlusal t. abnormal occlusal stresses capable of producing or which have produced pathologic changes in the tooth and its surrounding structures.

- psychic t. an upsetting experience precipitating or aggravating an emotional or mental disorder.

* * *

trau·ma 'trȯ-mə, 'trau̇- n, pl traumas also trau·ma·ta -mət-ə

1 a) an injury (as a wound) to living tissue caused by an extrinsic agent <surgical \trauma> <the intra-abdominal organs at greatest risk to athletic \trauma are the spleen, pancreas, and kidney (M. R. Eichelberger)> see blunt trauma

b) a disordered psychic or behavioral state resulting from mental or emotional stress or physical injury

2) an agent, force, or mechanism that causes trauma

* * *

n.

1. a physical wound or injury, such as a fracture or blow. Trauma scores are numerical systems for assessing the severity and prognosis of serious injuries.

2. (in psychology) an emotionally painful and harmful event. Theorists have speculated that some events (such as birth) are always traumatic. Symptoms of neurosis may follow an overwhelmingly stressful event, such as battle or serious injury. See post-traumatic stress disorder.

• traumatic adj.

* * *

trau·ma (trawґmə) (trouґmə) pl. traumas, trauґmata [Gr.] 1. injury. 2. psychological or emotional damage.