Some conclusions on a study of 365 patients with spinal cord lesions

Abstract

Outpatient Attendance. All cases that can be brought back for medical re-examination are seen at regular intervals at our outpatient clinics and are re admitted for full routine annual investigation. Those too far afield where it is impracticable to return to the Centre are supervised by the nearest provincial hospital or a general practitioner or district surgeon and are referred back to the Centre if necessary. Outpatient attendance figures are unfortunately not avail able for the entire period under consideration, but a comparison of the figures for 1967 with those of the previous year show a marked increase-297 in 1967, 102 in 1966. It is encouraging to see how well the majority of the discharged patients manage once out of hospital, a relative minority return with sores or urinary complications. SUMMARY An analysis of 300 new lesions admitted to the Spinal Injuries Centre, Conradie Hospital, Cape Town, which was officially opened in November 1963. Statistics given relate to the following: I. Mode of transport to the Centre. 2. Age and sex distribution. 3. Cause and frequency of spinal cord lesions. 4. Neurological classification-incidence and extent. 5. General nursing care. 6. Plastic repair of sores. 7. Incidence of automatic and autonomous bladders and treatment. 8. Orthopaedic procedures. 9. Tracheostomy. 10. Death rate. I I. Discharges. 12. Outpatient attendance.

Sexual rehabilitation after cord injury

“…Although numerous articles have been written on the altered physiology of sexual function after cord injury (Munro et ai., 1948;Talbot, 1949;Bors, 1963), on the genito-urinary problems involved (Horne et ai., 1948;Munro et al, 1948;Talbot, 1949;Bailey, 1968;Cibeira, 1970), on social studies dealing with marriage and divorce (Comarr, 1962;Guttman, 1964), on statistical reviews of sexual competence (Talbot, 1949;Bors, 1963;Bailey, 1968;Cibeira, 1970;Jacobson, 1970) and on the psychological aspects of sex after cord injury (Berger et ai., 1952;Money, 1960;Weiss et ai., 1966;Frankel, 1967;Puth, 1967;Bailey, 1968)-little has actually been written on the practical aspects of sex. It is the practical aspects that the average newly injured individual wants to know.…”

The medical and economic fate of twenty-nine industrial spinal cord injured patients

“…Cibeira (1970) in analysing 365 paraplegics admitted to his centre, found that only 13 per cent were admitted within one month of injury and 65 per cent of this total had pressure sores and 100 per cent had urinary tract infections. Proper staffing and apparatus such as the Egerton-Stoke Mandeville Turning Bed (Guttmann, 1965(Guttmann, , 1967Frankel et ai., 1969) or the Roto-Rest Bed (Keane, 1970), can decrease the incidence of bed sores to zero and can secondarily decrease the cost of patient's care.…”

Injuries of the Thoracic and Lumbar Spine

“…Наиболее часто встречающиеся осложнения: спондилиты как проявление инфекционных осложнений после перкутанной вертебропластики [20,103], транзиторная гипотензия во время введения костного цемента [141], усиление болевого синдрома и повышение температуры тела [30,37,43,103]. Достаточно редки переломы ребра, поперечного отростка, дужки позвонка, ранение плевры [38,85,116,141]. Радикулопатия может быть связана с попаданием вытекшего из сломанного тела позвонка костного цемента в зону радикулярной вены или межпозвонковое отверстие.…”