[Quality of life of patients with paraplegia secondary to traumatic spine injury].
BACKGROUND
The quality of life of paraplegic patients is complex, given the interaction that takes place among various factors that include severity of the injury, the degree of independence, the available resources, the acceptance of the injury, and the health-promotion activities. A patient with a history of spinal cord injury is at risk of developing secondary conditions that impair quality of life.


OBJECTIVE
Determine the quality of life of patients seen at HTOLV with a diagnosis of traumatic paraplegia. Material and methods. Twenty-three paraplegic patients were assessed using the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scale and the EuroQoL.


RESULTS
Mean age was 42.2 years; males were predominant and represented 78%. According to the FIM, mean independence was 88% (65 to 97%). The EuroQoL score was 0.4879 in a scale where 0 represents the worst status and 1 the best. The most frequent complications were: urinary tract infections, depression, pain, and pressure sores. Fifty-seven percent of patients remained married after the injury; 39% of patients were and have remained single, and 82.61% of patients receive a pension.


CONCLUSIONS
The quality of life of paraplegic patients is below the mean quality of life of individuals without any disabilities.
Bahena-Salgado
Yadira
Y
Hospital de Traumatología y Ortopedia Lomas verdes. Basyort@hotmail.com
Bernal-Márquez
J N
JN
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000209:etiology; D011788:Quality of Life; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications