title: Incidence, characteristics, and outcome of spinal cord injury at trauma centers in North America.
abstract: Acute spinal cord injury occurred in 2.6% of the 114,510 patients entered into the Major Trauma Outcome Study from 1982 to 1989. The most common causes of spinal cord injury were motor vehicle accidents (40%), falls (20%), and gunshot wounds (13.6%). Almost 80% of patients with spinal cord injury had multiple injuries. Cervical cord injury was seen in 65% of patients with isolated spinal cord injury, but in only 52% of patients with multiple injuries. The hospital mortality rate was 17%, with patients with multiple injuries having a significantly higher mortality rate than patients with isolated spinal cord injury (19.8% vs 6.9%). The TRISS method overpredicted the mortality rate among patients with multiple injuries (450 vs 379), but not among those with isolated injury. A program for better national surveillance and prevention of spinal cord injury is warranted.
authors: Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor 48109-0331.
authors: R E
authors: RE
authors: Burney
authors: R F
authors: RF
authors: Maio
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Maynard
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Karunas
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000328:Adult; D002423:Cause of Death; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D003422:Critical Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D009656:North America / Q000453:epidemiology; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D014193:Trauma Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data