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Chapter 6 - Prognostication in Spinal Cord Injury

from Part I - Disease-Specific Prognostication

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 November 2024

By
Jeffrey Zimering  and
Konstantinos Margetis
Edited by
David M. Greer  and
Neha S. Dangayach
David M. Greer
Affiliation:
Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center
Neha S. Dangayach
Affiliation:
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Mount Sinai Health System
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Summary

According to the National Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Statistical Center, there are approximately 282,000 people in the United States living with SCI. The annual incidence of SCI is estimated to be 39–54 cases per million in the United States. Males account for 80% of new cases, and the average age at injury is 42 years. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause, followed by falls, acts of violence, and sports-related injuries. The average length of stay (LOS) in acute care hospital settings is 11 days, and the average LOS in rehabilitation centers is 35 days. Incomplete tetraplegia accounts for 45% of cases of SCI cases, followed by complete paraplegia in 20%. Less than 1% experience neurological recovery at the time of hospital discharge.[1]

Globally, the 1-year mortality rate following traumatic SCI (tSCI) remains high in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where violence-related SCI rates are very high (38% of all cases).

Type
Chapter
Information
Neuroprognostication in Critical Care , pp. 94 - 108
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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