Abstract
Study design:
Retrospective study.
Objectives:
To review traumatic spinal cord injury rates and epidemiology at the Riyadh Military Hospital in Saudi Arabia and to hypothesise strategies for a more integrated approach to injury prevention in Saudi Arabia.
Setting:
RMH, Rehabilitation Division.
Methods:
A review was conducted of all patients with TSCI aged ⩾14 years admitted to RMH from January 2003 to December 2008. Descriptive analysis was performed for age, gender, cause of TSCI, completeness and neurological level of the injury.
Results:
In all, 307 TSCI patients were admitted during this period: 88% were male, and their mean age was 29.5 years old were the main cause of TSCI (85%).
Conclusions:
TSCI in Saudi Arabia affects mainly the male population. The rate of RTAs caused by four-wheeled vehicles is the highest globally reported RTA statistic. Primary prevention strategies specific to the region should be developed to decrease the number of car accidents. The higher-than-expected rate of complete injuries may reflect practices in acute management and transport, and suggests that a review of the acute and integrated management of TSCI may also be necessary.
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Alshahri, S., Cripps, R., Lee, B. et al. Traumatic spinal cord injury in Saudi Arabia: an epidemiological estimate from Riyadh. Spinal Cord 50, 882–884 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.2012.65
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.2012.65
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