Mortality following spinal cord injury

This study analyzed the mortality in 1453 spinal cord injured patients admitted early after injury to a specialised Spinal Injuries Unit within a University teaching hospital over a 40-year period. The cohort comprised 55.3% patients with cervical lesions and 44.7% patients with thoracic/lumbar lesi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Spinal cord 1998-05, Vol.36 (5), p.329-336
Main Authors: Yeo, John D, Walsh, John, Rutkowski, Sue, Soden, Ros, Craven, Mary, Middleton, James
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Anatomy
Biological and medical sciences
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Cohort Studies
Human Physiology
Humans
Injuries of the nervous system and the skull. Diseases due to physical agents
Life Expectancy
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Neck
Neurochemistry
Neuropsychology
Neurosciences
original-article
Paraplegia - mortality
Paraplegia - physiopathology
Quadriplegia - mortality
Quadriplegia - physiopathology
Spinal Cord Injuries - mortality
Spinal Cord Injuries - physiopathology
Survival Analysis
Thorax
Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents
Tropical medicine
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Summary:This study analyzed the mortality in 1453 spinal cord injured patients admitted early after injury to a specialised Spinal Injuries Unit within a University teaching hospital over a 40-year period. The cohort comprised 55.3% patients with cervical lesions and 44.7% patients with thoracic/lumbar lesions. Those patients who died within 18 months of the spinal injury (132) were excluded from the final analysis. Standardised Mortality Ratios, survival rates and life expectancy ratios were calculated for specific ranges of current attained age and duration since injury with reference to level and degree of spinal cord injury. The projected mean life expectancy of spinal cord injured people compared to that of the whole population was then estimated to approach 70% of normal for individuals with complete tetraplegia and 84% of normal for complete paraplegia (Frankel grade A). Patients with an incomplete lesion and motor functional capabilities (Frankel grade D) are projected to have a life expectancy of at least 92% of the normal population.
ISSN:1362-4393
1476-5624
DOI:10.1038/sj.sc.3100628