Dawaa Reference

Clinical reference

Acute Stress Reaction

Treatment options, dosing, cautions and Egyptian brands from the shipped Dawaa Reference card.

Evidence status

Checked against the sources named below

Sources3 sources

Acute Stress Disorder - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560815/ · ICPC-3 (WONCA International Classification of Primary Care, 3rd edition) - condition scope only, no dose · No dose - no medicine is given for this in primary care

Verified against2 documents
  • No dose - no medicine is given for this in primary care
  • Acute Stress Reaction - disease-level clinical article (acute-stress-reaction-clinical.txt)

Verified date2026-08

Presentation reference

Is it this?

Reference only, to read alongside your own examination.

Symptoms — what the patient reports (8)

  • Recurring, unwanted memories of the traumatic event that intrude automatically
  • Flashbacks in which the person feels like they are reliving the trauma in the moment
  • Trouble feeling any positive emotion such as happiness or love
  • A sense of unreality, watching oneself from outside, or time feeling slowed
  • Gaps in memory for an important part of the traumatic event, not from a head injury or substance use
  • Deliberate avoidance of reminders - people, places, or objects - linked to the trauma
  • Sleep problems and irritable, angry outbursts with little provocation [irritability]
  • Being constantly on guard, poor concentration, and an exaggerated startle reflex [poor concentration]

Signs — what you find (2)

  • Rapid heart rate can accompany the psychological presentation
  • In children older than six, play may repeatedly act out themes from the traumatic event

Tests (5)

  • No lab test, biomarker, or imaging study can confirm the diagnosis
  • A validated adult self-report questionnaire exists for symptom tracking
  • The Child Stress Disorders Checklist screens children for both acute stress and PTSD symptoms
  • Structured interviews such as the Acute Stress Disorder Interview can assist in busy clinical settings
  • PTSD screening tools like the CAPS-5 or PC-PTSD-5 help flag patients needing fuller trauma assessment later

If not this — what else fits (10)

  • Ordinary post-trauma distress in the first days does not meet the full symptom count or duration for this diagnosis
  • PTSD is considered once trauma-related symptoms have lasted beyond one month
  • Adjustment disorder fits when the stressor does not meet the trauma threshold required here
  • Panic disorder is favored when attacks recur unexpectedly and are not centered on trauma reminders
  • Brief psychotic disorder involves delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized speech or behavior, atypical here
  • Depression or generalized anxiety is favored when the picture is not centered on trauma-linked intrusions and arousal
  • A pervasive pattern of instability since early adulthood points to borderline personality disorder instead
  • Head injury signs - worsening headache, vomiting, seizure, focal weakness, or slurred speech - should prompt urgent neurologic assessment instead
  • Intoxication or withdrawal from alcohol, sedatives, cannabis, or stimulants can mimic the anxiety and perceptual disturbance
  • Medical causes such as hyperthyroidism, hypoglycemia, arrhythmia, or a CNS infection can produce a similar picture

SourceStatPearls "Acute Stress Disorder" - disease-level clinical article

Presentation findings are traced to the source above.

1

NO DRUG THERAPY IN PRIMARY CARE (ASSESSMENT & ADVICE)

1st line
Adult dose and duration

A time-limited reaction to a major stressor or life change causing distress and impaired coping; managed with brief supportive counselling and practical advice, reserving medication for exceptional cases such as severe insomnia, since it usually resolves without drugs. - Assessment and advice

Paediatric dose

Children follow the same pathway: assessment, explanation and follow-up. No primary-care medicine is implied.

Dose source

No dose - no medicine is given for this in primary care

Why

A time-limited reaction to a major stressor or life change causing distress and impaired coping; managed with brief supportive counselling and practical advice, reserving medication for exceptional cases such as severe insomnia, since it usually resolves without drugs.

Cautions
  • RED FLAG - Acute psychosis or severe dissociation following trauma: assess urgently and refer.
  • No medicine is prescribed for this in primary care. The value of the consultation is recognition, explanation and follow-up, and referral if the red flags above appear.
  • RED FLAG - Suicide risk assessment is required at initial evaluation and follow-up when severe stress symptoms, depression, self-harm history, or hopelessness are present.
  • RED FLAG - Suicidal ideation or risk of self-harm: assess urgently and refer. Refer also when symptoms persist beyond a month, suggesting evolution to PTSD or an adjustment disorder.

Prices are indicative (dataset snapshot 2026-06); verify with the pharmacy.