A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF PATIENTS WITH SPINAL CORD INJURY ADMITTED IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN AHMADNAGAR, INDIA

Abstract

Background: Spinal cord injuries are greatly disabling and deadly injuries. At present, there is little information regarding the risk factors for complete injuries. This study aims to describe the demographics and the injury characteristics for traumatic and non-traumatic spinal cord injuries and to explore the risk factors for complete spinal cord injuries. Methods: A retrospective study was performed by reviewing the medical records of 30 patients with spinal cord injuries who were admitted to the hospitals in Ahmednagar, India from 2016-2018. Variables included gender, age, marital status, etiology, occupation, level of injury, and severity of injury, associated complaints, complications and treatment. Results: The proportion of patients increased from 30% to 36.66% from 2016 to 2018. The male-to female ratio was 5:1. The major cause of spinal cord injuries was traffic accidents (36.66%). Many of the injured were skilled workers (36.66%), semi-skilled (20%), and students (23.33%); these occupations accounted for 79.99% of the total sample. Cervical 13(33.33%) and lumbar 16(43.33%) spinal levels were the most affected. The most documented complications were pressure ulcers 11(36.66%) and urinary tract infection 02(6.66%). Conclusion: The proportion of males was higher than the proportion of females. Skilled workers, semi-skilled workers and the students comprised the high-risk occupational categories. Male gender, having a spinal fracture, having a thoracic injury, and having complications were the major risk factors for a complete injury. We recommend that preventive measures should focus on high-risk populations, such as young males.