Mortality following spinal cord injury (original) (raw)

Spinal Cord volume 36, pages 329–336 (1998) Cite this article

Abstract

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.

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  1. Spinal Injuries Unit, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia
    John D Yeo, John Walsh, Sue Rutkowski, Ros Soden & Mary Craven
  2. Moorong Spinal Unit, Royal Rehabilitation Centre, Sydney, Australia
    James Middleton

Authors

  1. John D Yeo
  2. John Walsh
  3. Sue Rutkowski
  4. Ros Soden
  5. Mary Craven
  6. James Middleton

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Yeo, J., Walsh, J., Rutkowski, S. et al. Mortality following spinal cord injury.Spinal Cord 36, 329–336 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.sc.3100628

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