title: Acute phase complications following traumatic spinal cord injury in Dutch level 1 trauma centres.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the number and nature of complications during the acute phase following traumatic spinal cord injury and to explore the relationship between number of complications and length of hospital stay.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multi-centre prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 54 patients with traumatic spinal cord injury, referred to 3 level 1 trauma centres in The Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  The number and nature of complications were registered weekly from September 2009 to December 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 32 patients (59%) had 1 or more medical complications. The most common complications were pressure ulcers (17 patients, 31%) and pulmonary complications (15 patients, 28%). PATIENTS with 3 or 4 complications had significantly (p < 0.01) longer hospital stays (58.5 [32.5] days) compared with those with 1 or 2 complications (33.1 [14.8] days) or no complications (21.5 [15.6] days).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Complications, particularly pressure ulcers and pulmonary complications, occurred frequently during the acute phase following traumatic spinal cord injury. More complications were associated with longer hospital stays. Despite the existence of protocols, more attention is needed to prevent pressure ulcers during the acute phase following traumatic spinal cord injury for patients in The Netherlands.
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation, Libra Rehabilitation and Audiology, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Karin C M
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: van Weert
authors.forename: Evert J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Schouten
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hofstede
authors.forename: Henk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van de Meent
authors.forename: Herman R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Holtslag
authors.forename: Rita J G
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: van den Berg-Emons
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014193:Trauma Centers