Question

A construction worker is brought to the emergency room immediately after an accident on a job site. He was standing very near a three-story scaffold that fell and missed crushing him by inches. He reports feeling anxiety, a sense of numbing, detachment, and difficulty remembering the accident and states that he feels like he is in a daze. The most likely diagnosis is:

A. Generalized anxiety disorder
B. Major depression
C. Delirium
D. Dissociative amnesia
E. Acute stress disorder

Answer 1

The construction worker exhibiting signs of severe anxiety, numbing, detachment, and memory difficulty after a near-miss accident likely has Acute stress disorder.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most likely diagnosis for a construction worker who was nearly crushed by a scaffold and now reports feeling anxiety, a sense of numbing, detachment, difficulty remembering the accident, and feels like he is in a daze is E. Acute stress disorder. This condition is characterized by the development of severe anxiety, dissociation, and other symptoms that occur within one month after exposure to an extreme traumatic stressor (such as being close to a life-threatening event). Acute stress disorder can be a precursor to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), if symptoms persist for longer than a month.