Respiratory function and respiratory complications in spinal cord injury: protocol for a prospective, multicentre cohort study in high-­income countries

Pneumonia is a major complication following spinal cord injury (SCI), leading to increased healthcare costs, prolonged rehabilitation, and even early death. This study aims to identify respiratory function parameters that can predict pneumonia risk in SCI patients undergoing inpatient rehabilitation. The study, named RESCOM, is a large-scale, multinational cohort study involving 10 SCI rehabilitation centers across several high-income countries. It seeks to evaluate how well different measures of respiratory function can predict a patient's risk of developing pneumonia during their inpatient rehabilitation. By identifying key risk factors and developing predictive models, the RESCOM study aims to improve clinical practice by enabling better targeting of interventions to reduce pneumonia risk in SCI patients. The study also aims to disseminate findings to the SCI community and other stakeholders.

• 1
  The study aims to evaluate the ability of parameters of respiratory function to predict and understand variation in inpatient risk of pneumonia in SCI.
• 2
  The RESCOM cohort will enrol 500 persons with SCI to develop generalisable prognostic models as well as to validate causal risk factors, specifically impaired respiratory function, of pneumonia risk.
• 3
  The study will provide insight whether the improvement of respiratory muscle strength and respiratory function represent promising targets for intervention to reduce pneumonia risk following SCI.