An analysis of complications and risk factors in senile resident patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries

CHEN Hua; YU Tie-qiang; WANG Guo-qiang; ZUO Yu-ming; WANG Yue-guang

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-252X.2015.01.018

Abstract：Objective To investigate the complications and risk factors in senile resident patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries.Methods From January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2011, senile resident patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries were adopted, whose age was more than 60 years old. Their age, gender, spinal cord injury level, American Spinal Injury Association ( ASIA ) scores and complications were retrospectively reviewed. Results There were 136 patients in total. Complications occurred in 39 patients, including respiratory complications in 20 patients, cardiovascular complications in 7 patients, digestive complications in 6 patients, urologic complications in 5 patients, bedsores in 5 patients, infections in 1 patient and spasticity in the lower limbs in 1 patients. The complications with more than 2 kinds of systems involved were found in 8 patients. The sensory score, motor score and surgery or not were correlated to the complications (P<0.05 ). The motor score and surgery or not are considered as the independent risk factors of spinal cord injuries in senile resident patients. A negative correlation existed between the motor score and the complications (P<0.05 ), and a positive correlation was noticed between the surgery or not and the complications (P<0.05 ).Conclusions The most common complications originate from the respiratory system in senile patients with spinal cord injuries, and the complications with multiple systems involved are frequently noticed. More serious the injuries are, higher the incidence rate of complications will be. The incidence rate of early complications will be increased due to the surgery.