Citation

Barbetta DC, Smanioto TR, Poletto MF, Ferreira R, Lopes A, Casaro FM, Camargo A, Ogashawara TO. Spinal Cord Ser. Cases 2018; 4: e32.

Affiliation

Spinal cord injury Neurorehabilitation Unit, Sarah Network of Rehabilitation Hospitals, Brasília, Brazil.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1038/s41394-018-0049-8

PMID

29644101

PMCID

PMC5884855

Abstract

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiological profile of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), who visited the Sarah Network in 2014. SETTING: Brazil, Brasília-Federal District.

METHODS: A review of the electronic medical records of persons with SCI, aged over 15 years, was carried out.

RESULTS: The medical records of 2076 persons were evaluated: 83% were male, the mean age was 31 years, 40% did not complete elementary school, 67.7% had paraplegia, and 74.4% had complete SCI. The primary etiologies were gunshot wounds (28.4%), motorcycle accidents (24.6%), and motor vehicle accidents (19.1%). In the comparative analysis between genders, differences were observed regarding the level of education and completeness of injury.

CONCLUSION: Gunshot wounds were the main cause of SCI in our population, comprising mostly male individuals with thoracic injury, resulting in complete SCI. Data show a high incidence of SCI in young adults owing to violence in Brazil.

Language: en