Epidemiological survey of spinal cord injury: A study of 377 patients

The total number of patients admitted to the Spinal Cord Injury Unit, Riyadh Central Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from June 1979 to March 1984 approached 450 patients. Of those, 377 (369 males and 8 females) patients with complete records and sustaining traumatic injury were studied. The patients were divided into four groups: cervical, dorsal, dorsolumbar and lumbar. In each group, the following parameters were studied: age, sex, nationality, length of period prior to admission, and source of admission. The cause of injury was divided into four groups, including road traffic accident, industrial injuries, domiciliary injuries and gunshot wounds. The study included the type of bony injury and associated injuries, complications both on admission and during hospital course and neurological deficit and progress. The results of treatment are displayed in a variety of tables with explanations in the text. It is hoped that this work would be a pointer to the size of the problem in Saudi Arabia, and would highlight the difficulties encountered and tentatively put forth suggestions for correction.