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

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 Notification System (ENS). Persons reported to the ENS between January 1 1986 and December 31 199...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Spinal cord 1998-01, Vol.36 (1), p.45-50
Main Authors: Johnson, Renee L, Gerhart, Kenneth A, McCray, Jeannie, Menconi, Jean C, Whiteneck, Gale G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Anatomy
Biological and medical sciences
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Colorado - epidemiology
Cost of Illness
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Human Physiology
Humans
Injuries of the nervous system and the skull. Diseases due to physical agents
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Neurochemistry
Neuropsychology
Neurosciences
original-article
Population
Prospective Studies
Spinal Cord Injuries - complications
Spinal Cord Injuries - economics
Spinal Cord Injuries - epidemiology
Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents
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Summary: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 Notification 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 first, third and fifth 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 financial concerns and transportation problems. Although these reported medical and non-medical complications present significant 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.
ISSN:1362-4393
1476-5624
DOI:10.1038/sj.sc.3100494