Article

Retrospective case review. OBJECTIVES: To compare the
rehabilitation outcomes between patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries and
patients with non-traumatic spinal cord injuries, using The Needs Assessment
Checklist (NAC), to observe if both the groups benefit from the same
rehabilitation programme. SETTING: Tertiary care, spinal cord injury
rehabilitation unit (National Spinal Injuries Centre), Stoke Mandeville Hospital,
UK. METHODS: Information obtained with the NAC at two time points during
patients' rehabilitation was examined. Statistical analysis investigated the
rehabilitation outcomes both between and within groups. RESULTS: Initial
differences were observed on admission between patients with traumatic and
non-traumatic spinal cord injuries in five of the ten rehabilitation domains
measured, with patients with non-traumatic injuries presenting with better
outcomes. At a later stage in patients' rehabilitation, however, differences
between the groups had lessened. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that the
whole cohort made significant improvements in all the ten rehabilitation domains,
with the same finding evident for both patients with traumatic and patients with
non-traumatic spinal cord injuries. CONCLUSION: Patients with traumatic spinal
cord injuries and patients with non-traumatic spinal cord injuries benefitted
from the same rehabilitation programme in a spinal injury centre, making
significant improvements in all ten rehabilitation domains measured, suggesting
that it is effective to admit and rehabilitate patients with injuries resulting
from both traumatic and non-traumatic aetiologies in the same specialised
setting.

Langue : ANGLAIS