The EQ-5D-5L in patients admitted to a hospital in Japan with recent spinal cord injury: a descriptive study

Abstract

Study design: Descriptive study. Objective: To demonstrate Euro Quality of Life 5-dimensional 5-level (EQ-5D-5L) by severity level at the acute stage and discharge in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Setting: Spinal Injuries Center, Fukuoka, Japan. Methods: Patients with traumatic SCI who completed the EQ-5D-5L instrument at the acute stage and discharge were divided into four groups according to severity (severity group G1; C1–C4 ASIA Impairment Scale (AIS) A, B, and C, G2; C5–C8 AIS A, B, and C, G3; T1–S5 AIS A, B, and C, G4; all AIS D). All data were extracted from the Japan single-center study for spinal cord injury database (JSSCI-DB). Results: Data were collected from 139 individuals at the acute stage and 164 individuals at discharge. In the comparison of utility score by severity in acute stage and discharge, G3 was significantly higher in discharge (0.325 versus 0.580). Utility scores by degree of severity were significantly higher in group G4 than those of G1, G2, and G3 at the acute stage. Utility scores at discharge were significantly higher in groups G3 and G4 than in G1, and there was a significant difference between groups G4 and G2. Conclusions: At each stage, the utility scores of group G4 were significantly higher than those of groups G1 and G2. Altogether, the utility scores for hospitalized patients with traumatic SCI that were indicated in this study will serve as basic data that can be used while performing spinal regeneration medical procedures in the future.