title: International Retrospective Comparison of Inpatient Rehabilitation for Patients With Spinal Cord Dysfunction: Differences According to Etiology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe and compare epidemiologic characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients with nontraumatic spinal cord dysfunction according to etiology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, multicenter open-cohort case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Spinal rehabilitation units (SRUs) in 9 countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients (N=956; men, 60.8%; median age, 59.0y [interquartile range, 46-70.0y]; paraplegia, n=691 [72.3%]) with initial onset of spinal cord dysfunction consecutively admitted between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  Etiology of spinal cord dysfunction, demographic characteristics, length of stay (LOS) in rehabilitation, pattern of spinal cord dysfunction onset, discharge destination, level of spinal cord damage, and the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) grade on admission and discharge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common etiologies were degenerative (30.8%), malignant tumors (16.2%), infections (12.8%), ischemia (10.9%), benign tumors (8.7%), other vascular (8.5%), and other conditions (12.1%). There were major differences in epidemiologic characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients with different etiologies of spinal cord dysfunction. Paraplegia was more common in patients with a malignant tumor and vascular etiologies, while tetraplegia was more common in those with a degenerative etiology, a benign tumor, and infections. Patients with a malignant tumor tended to have the shortest LOS in the SRU, while those with a vascular etiology tended to have the longest. Except for patients with a malignant tumor, all patient groups had a significant change in their AIS grade between admission and discharge.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This international study of spinal cord dysfunction showed substantial variation between the different etiologies regarding demographic and clinical characteristics, including changes in AIS between admission and discharge.
authors.affiliation: Spinal Rehabilitation Service, Caulfield Hospital, Alfred Health, Caulfield, Victoria, Australia; Epworth-Monash Rehabilitation Medicine Unit, Southern Medical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: p.new@cgmc.org.au.
authors.forename: Peter Wayne
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: New
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN.
authors.forename: Ronald K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Reeves
authors.affiliation: National Rehabilitation and Mater Misericordiae University Hospitals, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Éimear
authors.initials: É
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Swiss Paraplegic Research, Swiss Paraplegic Center, Nottwil, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Inge
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Eriks-Hoogland
authors.affiliation: Neurological Rehabilitation Division, Department of Psychiatric and Neurological Rehabilitation, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurological Sciences, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Anupam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hospitalization and Scientific Care Fondazione S. Lucia, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scivoletto
authors.affiliation: GF Strong Rehab Center, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Townson
authors.affiliation: National Spinal Injuries Center, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Belci
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maurizio
authors.affiliation: Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience and Center of Excellence in Rehabilitation, University Medical Center Utrecht and De Hoogstraat, Utrecht, The Netherlands; University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Rehabilitation, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marcel W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Post
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*
keywords: Epidemiology; Etiology; Outcome and process assessment (health care); Rehabilitation; Spinal cord diseases; Spinal cord injuries