Journal: Journal of Medical Case Reports
Volume: 3
Page: 100
Year: 2009
Author(s): Dimtrios Anyfantakis
Article Title: Selective Mutism Due To Dog Bite Trauma in a 4 Year Old Girl

Summary:
After a dog attack while playing in her neighborhood, a young 4 year old girl was rushed to a hospital. When she arrived she needed intravenous fluid administration and blood transfusion. During her healing process the child started showing a depressed mood and wasn’t communicating normally with others, she would use nonverbal gestures and this behavior was also present during her psychiatric evaluation. Even after being released from the emergency room she refuses to speak with physicians or anyone outside her home setting. She would avoid talking about the attack and where it occurred, and has anxiety outburst when left alone and also difficulty concentrating. Her case fulfilled the criteria for selective mutism and PTSD. Selective mutism is the voluntary decision not speaking certain situations; in situations where speech is expected. There are a lot of theories about why selective mutism occurs, especially in traumatic experiences. In children selective mutism is poorly understood and un-recognized. Since most physicians are unfamiliar with the disorder, it’s often misdiagnosed, and wrongly attributed to shyness. PSTD, post traumatic stress, is a highly prevalent condition among children that are exposed to a life threatening event. It causes emotional distress and psychological disorders, and in most cases in children psychological support was not provided. For both selective mutism and PTSD early detection and treatment is the key to managing the disorders. Your opinion of the article: This article was very informative; knowing about each of these disorders will be helpful for early detection and should not be under estimated. I would like