Citation

da Paz AC, Beraldo PS, Almeida MC, Neves EG, Alves CM, Khan P. Paraplegia 1992; 30(9): 636-640.

Affiliation

Hospital for Medicine of the Locomotor System (HMLS)/SARAH, Brasilia, Brazil.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1992, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group -- Palgrave-Macmillan)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

1408340

Abstract

Traumatic spinal cord lesions have a worldwide high morbidity and mortality, and in many developed countries the problem has received special attention, based on epidemiological studies. In Brazil these studies have been restricted to institutional data. In 1988 a survey conducted by the Integrated System of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, covering 36 public hospitals from 7 Brazilian capitals, revealed a point prevalence of 8.6% (108 patients) with spinal cord injury, aged from 6-56 years; 81% were men. The most frequent causes were traffic accidents (42%), firearms (27%) and falling from heights (15%). The main complications were pressure ulcers (54%) and urinary infections (32%).

Language: en