Ann Rehabil Med, 2023 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.5535/arm.23054 · Published: October 1, 2023
This study looks at patients who have both a spinal cord injury (SCI) and a traumatic brain injury (TBI). It aims to understand how often these injuries occur together and how they affect patient recovery. The researchers reviewed the medical records of 363 patients with SCI to see how many also had a TBI. They also looked at how the combination of injuries affected the patients' initial assessments and recovery. The study found that patients with both SCI and TBI showed a higher rate of neurological improvement compared to those with SCI alone, suggesting that the initial assessment of SCI severity might be underestimated in patients with concomitant TBI.
Healthcare professionals should be aware that concomitant TBI can affect the initial assessment of SCI severity, potentially leading to underestimation of the injury. Cognitive evaluations should be included.
Rehabilitation programs should be tailored to address both SCI and TBI, considering the cognitive and emotional impairments caused by TBI that can hinder recovery.
Establishing a global SCI patient registry that includes TBI information is crucial for improving data collection and evaluation standards for patients with combined injuries.