Quality of life after spinal cord injury caused by gunshot.
OBJECTIVE
To determine what effect gunshot-caused spinal cord injury (SCI) has on self-reported quality of life (QOL) and on the frequency of pain sufficient to interfere with day-to-day activities.


METHODS
Follow-up, case-control design.


METHODS
Analysis of data obtained from the (US) National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center from 18 funded Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems.


METHODS
Individuals with traumatic onset SCI (n = 1901). From these, 111 persons with gunshot-caused SCI were matched to persons with nongunshot SCI.


METHODS
Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), the Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique (CHART), Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12), and an individual pain item from the SF-12.


RESULTS
No between-group differences were found on any of the QOL outcome measures. In contrast, those with SCI caused by gunshot reported that pain more frequently interfered with day-to-day activities than the matched comparison group.


CONCLUSIONS
SCI caused by gunshot appears largely unrelated to QOL, after controlling for demographic and medical characteristics associated with this group. Gunshot as a mechanism of SCI may place individuals at an increased risk of subsequent development of pain that interferes with activities of daily living.
Putzke
J D
JD
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
Richards
J S
JS
DeVivo
M J
MJ
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011788:Quality of Life; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot