Mortality in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury: Descriptive analysis of 62 deceased subjects

This study looks at the causes of death in people who had a spinal cord injury (SCI) before age 50 and lived at least 10 years after the injury. It also compares these causes of death with those who died within 10 years of their injury. The study found that septicemia, cardiovascular diseases, neoplasms, and cerebrovascular diseases were the main causes of death in those who survived longer. There wasn't a big difference in the causes of death between the two groups (those who lived more or less than 10 years after injury). The findings suggest that while urinary complications used to be a major concern, heart disease and infections are now more prevalent causes of death in people with long-term SCI. The study highlights the importance of addressing these issues through medical management and preventative strategies.

• 1
  The leading causes of death in patients surviving ≥10 years post-injury were septicemia, ischemic heart diseases, neoplasms, and cerebrovascular diseases.
• 2
  Septicemia, influenza/pneumonia, and suicide were the leading causes of death in tetraplegia, whereas ischemic heart disease, neoplasms, and septicemia were the leading causes of death in paraplegia.
• 3
  No significant differences in causes of death were identified between patients surviving <10 and ≥10 years post-injury.