title: Clinical and socio-demographic characteristics of persons with traumatic paraplegia living in São Paulo, Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the clinical profile of individuals with paraplegia living in São Paulo, Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample consisted of 60 outpatients with traumatic paraplegia from whom clinical and demographic data were obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients were predominately men (86.7%), single (61.7%), with mean age of 32.9 (SD=9.47) years, and complete or incomplete primary education (63.3%). Although 41.7% were born in different states, all patients were current residents of São Paulo, Brazil. The most frequent cause of paraplegia was firearm injury (63.3%) followed by car accident (20%). The most common complications observed in the patients were urinary (88.3%) and anal (45%) incontinence, muscle spasm (65%), and pressure ulcers (26.7%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data revealed that the sample consisted predominantly of young males with low education level, showing complications due to SCI, and who were victims of urban violence.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of São Paulo, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. leilablanes@ig.com.br
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Blanes
authors.forename: Lana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lourenço
authors.forename: Maria Isabel Sampaio
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Carmagnani
authors.forename: Lydia Masako
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014754:Violence