Gutierrez Questionnaire for Assessments of Patients after Car Accidents

Background: The polytrauma pattern exhibited by survivors of car accidents typically includes pain, pain related insomnia, PTSD, post-concussion and whiplash syndrome, depression, generalized anxiety, and driving anxiety. The Gutierrez questionnaire was developed to facilitate assessment of these symptoms in clinical settings and in litigations involving car insurance companies. This study evaluates its psychometric properties, the frequencies of polytrauma symptoms, and correlations among these polytrauma symptoms.

Method: The Gutierrez questionnaire was administered to 100 patients (48 men, 52 women). Their age ranged from 18 to 85 years with the average at 42.4 years, SD=15.9. Their motor vehicle accident (MVA) occurred, on the average, 11.3 months ago (SD=7.7; range 1 to 34 months).

Results: All patients reported some post-MVA pain, 97% reported difficulties falling or staying asleep, all reported some degree of post-concussion syndrome and of whiplash syndrome, 97% also reported generalized anxiety, 88% depression, and all reported some degree of post-MVA driving anxiety. PTSD was suggested by symptoms such as nightmares (52 % of patients), generalized anxiety, and avoidance of driving (84% of patients avoided driving).

Discussion and Conclusions: The results indicate a polytraumatic symptom pattern of post-MVA patients that consists of pain, insomnia, post-concussion syndrome, whiplash syndrome, PTSD, depression, generalized anxiety, and driving anxiety. This pattern can be easily assessed by Gutierrez questionnaire.

Keywords: pain, insomnia, PTSD, depression, anxiety, driving anxiety, accident.