Secondary conditions following spinal cord injury in a population-based sample

Abstract

This prospective study investigates the frequency of both medical and non-medical complications reported by the population based cohort of SCI survivors reported to the Colorado Spinal Cord Injury Early Noti®cation System (ENS). Persons reported to the ENS between January 1 1986 and December 31 1993, representing the broad spectrum of all severities of spinal cord injury and potential complications, were solicited to participate in comprehensive follow-up interviews at their ®rst, third and ®fth year post injury. Hospitalizations of a week or longer were experienced by more than 10% of the participants at each of the three interview years. Similarly, the medical complications of spasticity or pain were reported by more than 25% of the participants, and pressure sores were reported by more than 10% at all three time periods. The chief non-medical complications (conditions) were ®nancial concerns and transportation problems. Although these reported medical and non-medical complications present signi®cant obstacles to be overcome, less than three percent of those surveyed at any of the time periods reported experiencing depression; and only 14% rated their quality of life as being poor.

Utilization of health services following spinal cord injury: a 6-year follow-up study

“…3 Respiratory, cardiovascular, and psychosocial issues have also been shown to be prevalent in studies of postacute SCI patients. [3][4][5][6][7] Persons with SCI are two times more likely to be rehospitalized than the general population of the United States. 4 The proportion of people with SCI who are rehospitalized in a given year has been reported between 27 and 57%.…”

“…[3][4][5][6][7] Persons with SCI are two times more likely to be rehospitalized than the general population of the United States. 4 The proportion of people with SCI who are rehospitalized in a given year has been reported between 27 and 57%. 1,4,[8][9][10][11] The highest rates of readmission to hospital occur in the first 5 years following injury.…”

“…4 The proportion of people with SCI who are rehospitalized in a given year has been reported between 27 and 57%. 1,4,[8][9][10][11] The highest rates of readmission to hospital occur in the first 5 years following injury. 10,11 In a study of hospitalizations in the first year postinjury, Davidoff et al 8 found the leading reasons for admission were urinary tract infections (17.0%) and deep venous thrombosis (12.8%).…”

“…10,11 Others have relied on interviews and patient surveys, which may be affected by recall bias. 1,3,4 The present study addresses some of these limitations using a population-based cohort design to follow persons who sustained a traumatic SCI in Alberta, Canada. Administrative data from centralized databases were compiled to provide a complete picture of health care use following SCI, including hospital admissions, physician contacts, long-term care, and home care services.…”

Developing core sets for persons with spinal cord injuries based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health as a way to specify functioning

“…22 For many persons with SCI, barriers in the community are particularly related to mobility equipment and transportation. [23][24][25] For those who are employed, transportation possibilities are of utmost importance. 26 In some countries most persons with SCI have a variety of mobility aids and transportation facilities available to them to live independently and attain high life satisfaction.…”