Work-related traumatic spinal cord lesions in Chile, a 20-year epidemiological analysis

• Published in: Spinal cord 2011-02, Vol.49 (2), p.196-199
• Main Authors: Correa, G I, Finkelstein, J M, Burnier, L A, Danilla, S E, Tapia, L Z, Torres, V N, Castillo, J C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 692/699/375/1824; 692/700/478/174; Accidental Falls - mortality; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Anatomy; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cerebrospinal fluid. Meninges. Spinal cord; Chile - epidemiology; Cohort Studies; Female; Forestry; Human Physiology; Humans; Incidence; Injuries of the nervous system and the skull. Diseases due to physical agents; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mining; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurochemistry; Neurology; Neuropsychology; Neurosciences; Occupational Diseases - epidemiology; original-article; Retrospective Studies; Spinal Cord Injuries - epidemiology; Spinal Injuries - complications; Spinal Injuries - epidemiology; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents; Wounds and Injuries - epidemiology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1362-4393; 1476-5624
• DOI: 10.1038/sc.2010.71

Study design: Retrospective cohort study. Objective: To describe the characteristics of patients with work-related traumatic spinal cord injuries (TSCI) in Chile. Setting: Hospital del Trabajador in Santiago, Santiago, Chile. Methods: Patients suffering from TSCI incurred at the workplace from 1986 to 2005 were identified through records of the Asociación Chilena de Seguridad (ACHS, Chilean Safety Association). Results: The medical records of 173 patients, 172 men and 1 woman, were analyzed. The yearly average incidence was 7.8 per million workers. Age at TSCI onset was 38.2±12.1 years. The principal external causes for TSCI incurred at the workplace were falls from a height in 86 cases (49.7%) and trauma blows to the vertebral spine in 61 cases (35.3 %). More falls occurred in the field construction, and other traumas occurred as a result of traumatic blows caused by tree trunks and stones in forestry and mining sectors. Mortality in this series was 8.7%, and the worst prognosis was for older patients with complete tetraplegia. The paraplegia:tetraplegia ratio was 3.2:1. Conclusions: The characteristics of workplace TSCI are specific to this population. It is important therefore to develop prevention programs for specific work-related TSCI.