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Article discusses the incidence and management of associated medical issues in individuals with violence-related spinal cord injury. Penetrating wounds carry a heavy prognosis, and coexisting injuries along with post-traumatic complications increase the likelihood of morbidity and mortality. Changes in prehospital management, emergency department, and acute hospital care are discussed. ...

Study examining characteristics and outcomes of spinal cord injuries (SCI) resulting from gunshot wounds. Demographic, clinical, and outcome data were collected on 49 individuals with gunshot-wound induced SCI who were found in a review of 217 traumatic SCI rehabilitation admissions to a tertiary care hospital during a 5-year period. ...

Article reports on the use and effectiveness of intrathecal baclofen (Lioresal --registered trademark) for the treatment of spinal spasticity. First-line treatment for spasticity usually includes therapeutic stretching, positioning, and physical modalities (heat,cold). Oral spasticity medications represent the next line of treatment and include baclofen, diazepam, dantrolene sodium, and clonidine. For ...

Study examines admission toxicology (drug and alcohol) screens from 87 consecutive rehabilitation medicine patients diagnosed with acute traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Forty-six patients (53%) presented with positive toxicology screens (alcohol-44%, drug-30%, both-26%). Of patients with positive alcohol screens, 75% met state criteria for intoxication (blood alcohol level 0.08 ...

Article introduces journal issue that addresses community integration following spinal cord injury (SCI). Community integration emphasizes the ability to participate in community life activities, remain active in family and recreational events, and access local activities and resources, including health care and employment. Three key areas of community integration are ...

Five year prospective study identifies and compares the incidence, demographics, neurologic presentation, and functional outcome of individuals with nontraumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) to individuals with traumatic SCI. Of 220 adult SCI admissions at a level I trauma center of a regional SCI model system, 39% were nontraumatic in ...

Study examines outcomes from 46 patients (19 cervical; 27 lumbar) following surgical decompression for myelopathy or cauda equina syndrome resulting from spinal stenosis (SS). Compared to patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), patients with SS were significantly older (mean age 68 vs. 39 years), more frequently retired/unemployed (89% ...

Study compares the incidence of medical complications secondary to spinal cord injury (SCI) in patients with nontraumatic and traumatic SCI. Prospective data collected included medical complications, injury characteristics, demographics, and rehabilitation outcomes. Individuals with traumatic SCI developed medical complications at a higher frequency in the following areas: deep vein ...

Study compares the rehabilitation outcomes of patients with spinal stenosis-induced spinal cord injury (SCI) to those with traumatic SCI. Main outcome measures included rehabilitation hospital length of stay (LOS), Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores, rehabilitation charges, and discharge disposition rates. Patients with tetraplegic spinal stenosis SCI had significantly shorter ...

Individuals with spinal cord injury were surveyed regarding the types of vocational services they had or were interested in receiving. Results from 445 eligible respondents between the ages of 18 and 64 years old are presented. Approximately 32 percent of respondents reported receiving at least 1 job-related service. The ...

Article provides a retrospective analysis of data from 436 individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) between the ages of 18 and 64 years old who participated in a larger project examining the needs of individuals with SCI. This study examined how participants differed on demographic and health-related factors based ...

Study examined differences in rehabilitation outcomes for African American and whites with spinal cord injury. Outcomes compared included medical procedures and complications, the American Spinal Injury Association motor index, Functional Independence Measure scores at admission and discharge, and discharge dispositions. Analysis revealed differences in spinal surgeries, laparotomies, traction during ...

Study examined the issues of employment and race for African Americans with spinal cord injury (SCI) by assessing job classification and occupational status before and after injury. Racial disparities were found in employment rates before and after injury. Differences were also found in the types of jobs held before ...

Study evaluated the perceived importance of family members' needs and the extent to which they were met during patients' acute rehabilitation following spinal cord injury (SCI). Family members of 17 inpatients completed the Family Needs Questionnaire (FNQ). Results showed that 18 of the 40 FNQ items were rated as ...

Using a retrospective analysis of clinical and biochemical data obtained from hospital records, argues that suppression of the parathyroid-vitamin D axis after spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with the degree of neurologic impairment and not level of injury.

Adjustment is how you adapt to or become used to changes in your life. CI affects almost every aspect of your life when it happens, and it can be hard to put your life back in order and adjust to living with SCI.

Article discussing methodological issues related to measurement of felicitude (happiness) as an outcome for people with physical or intellectual impairments. The author reviews outcome measures for injuries and chronic illnesses and finds that measures have tended to focus on negative rather than positive outcomes. Research concerning the epidemiology of ...

Reviews tools that have been or may be used to measure the outcomes of spinal cord injury (SCI), in order to illustrate how the principles and practices of outcome research can be applied to the sequelae of a specific disability. Reviews databases, generic outcome measures, condition-specific outcome measures for ...

Article discussing barriers to full participation of people with disabilities in research concerning health services and health outcomes. Barriers discussed include random digit dialing (RDD) methodologies that exclude people who screen calls or don't respond quickly to a ringing telephone, use of self-administered questionnaires that people with certain disabilities ...

Article presenting preliminary comparative data on health-related outcomes for people with spinal cord injury (SCI) participating in a pre-paid, risk-based, managed care plan (BCMG, or Boston's Community Medical Group). Participants were 45 persons with SCI who received care from BCMG, and 69 who received health care from other sources. ...