More than 50% of patients diagnosed with acute, traumatic spinal cord injury will experience at least 1 complication during their hospitalization. Age, severity of neurological injury, concurrent traumatic brain injury, comorbid illness, and mechanism of injury are all associated with increasing risk of complication. More than 75% of complications will occur within 2 weeks of injury. The complications associated with SCI carry a significant risk of morbidity and mortality; their early identification and management is critical in the care of the SCI patient.
Key points
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More than 50% of patients diagnosed with acute traumatic spinal cord injury experience at least 1 complication during their initial hospitalizations.
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Of patients who survive the event precipitating SCI, the greatest risk of mortality is from associated complications, not SCI itself.
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