EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY OF TRAUMATIC SPINAL CORD INJURY IN GOIÂNIA

Abstract

Purpose: Spinal cord injuries are a growing cause of morbidity and mortality in the population. Studies on etiology and aggravation of this trauma are critical to subsidize health policies for this population. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological profile of patients with spinal cord injury in Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil. Methods: Epidemiological study with documental analysis of 265 cases of spinal cord injury treated at the Emergency Hospital of Goiania in 2013. Results: The trauma was prevalent in male young people. The main cause was traffic accidents. The thoracolumbar region was the most affected. Half of the patients showed no spinal cord injury, but 52.45% presented some motor deficit. Treatment was conservative in most cases. In 109 patients required surgery due to trauma associated with being the head trauma the most frequent. Mortality was 14% and the highest risk of death occurred in cases aged under 60 years, cervical spine trauma and complete spinal cord injury. The average hospital stay was 6 days and was higher in surgical patients. All patients were seen by the Unified Health System, generating a cost of R$756,449.37. Conclusion: These findings allow guidance on efficient allocation of resources for the management of these diseases and indicate the need to create targeted strategies to prevent this type of injury in this population.