Prevalence of spinal cord injury in Helsinki

Abstract

Study design: Retrospective register-based epidemiological study. Objective: To estimate the prevalence rate of persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) with special reference to ASIA Impairment Grade A-D. Setting: Helsinki, Finland. Methods: Cases were identified using the registers of the Ka¨pyla¨Rehabilitation Centre, Helsinki University Central Hospital and the local organization for the disabled. Local health centres were informed about the study, residential service houses were contacted, and announcements were published in patient magazines. Results: A regional population was found to have a prevalence rate of 28/100 000 inhabitants with SCI (ASIA Impairment Scale A-D).

The global map for traumatic spinal cord injury epidemiology: update 2011, global incidence rate

“…14 High suicide rates seem to predominate in Scandinavian countries. 13,16,31 Demographic and economic differences between developed and developing countries affect the incidence of TSCI from low and high falls. Low falls (1-metre or less or on the same level (slips and trips) in elderly (often resulting in tetraplegia) are on the increase in developed countries with ageing populations.…”

Demographics of acute admissions to a National Spinal Injuries Unit

“…The early pre-hospital mortality ranges from 48.3 to 79%, while the inpatient mortality ranges from 4.4 to 16.7% [5,26]. The prevalence of SCI in the US is reported to range from 721 to 906 per million population, being 681 and 280 per million population in Australia and Europe, respectively [4,12,13]. The reported annual incidence rate of traumatic (non-osteoporotic) spinal fractures varies between 19 and 88 per 100,000 [8,18].…”

Diagnostic coding accuracy for traumatic spinal cord injuries

“…The current version, ICD-10, was introduced in 1993 2 and has been used for somatic diseases at our hospital since 1998. Traumatic SCI based on ICD-8 3,4 and ICD-9 5,6 have been evaluated, but less so for ICD-10. 6 Although patient records should be the gold standard for accurate clinical information, administrative databases are widely searched, quickly and inexpensively, to obtain information for research as well as daily practice.…”

“…Traumatic SCI based on ICD-8 3,4 and ICD-9 5,6 have been evaluated, but less so for ICD-10. 6 Although patient records should be the gold standard for accurate clinical information, administrative databases are widely searched, quickly and inexpensively, to obtain information for research as well as daily practice. 7 The reliability of information from such administrative databases can be questioned because of the inaccurate coding of the disease.…”