Abstract
Patients admitted to the University of Alabama Hospital between 1973 and 1985 were studied to determine the benefits, if any, of early admission to an organised, multidisciplinary spinal cord injury (SCI) care system. Patients admitted within 1 day of injury who received all subsequent care within the system were compared with patients who received their acute care services elsewhere and who were admitted to the system solely for rehabilitation. Both patient groups were comparable with respect to age, neurologic level and extent of spinal cord lesion, pre-existing major medical conditions, associated injuries, ventilator dependency and acute surgical procedure experience. Findings included statistically significant reductions in acute care and total lengths of stay coupled with a highly significant reduction in the incidence of pressure ulcers for patients admitted within 1 day of injury. Moreover, for patients admitted within 1 day of injury, mortality rates were lower than reported previously for patients not admitted to an organised SCI care system.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
