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A descriptive study on the functioning profile of patients with spinal cord injury in a rehabilitation center in
E Vasilchenko1, R Escorpizo2,3, E Filatov1
1Neurosurgical Department, Federal State Budgetary Scientific and Practical Centre for Medical and Social Evaluation and Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons in Novokuznetsk, Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Russian Federation, Novokuznetsk, Russian Federation.
Study Design:
This is a cross-sectional study.
Objectives:
(1) To use the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) profile to assess the functioning of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) admitted to a rehabilitation center; (2) To determine the role of the ICF in the operation of a rehabilitation center in Russia.
Setting:
This study was conducted in the Federal center for disability rehabilitation in Novokuznetsk, Russia.
Methods:
Eighty-one patients with SCI (59 men and 22 women; 31 with cervical, 41 with thoracic and 9 with lumbar level of injury) were included in the study. We determined the odds ratios of more pronounced impairments in ICF categories according to the duration of SCI and degree of neurological deficit.
Results:
Mean age of patients was 34.9±11.1 years, men/women ratio was 2.7:1 and the median of time from injury was 2.5 (1.5-6) years. On the basis of American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS), most patients had AIS A (N=31, 38.3%). Patients with tetraplegia and AIS A or AIS B were at risk for more significant impairments in b620 'urination functions' and b640 'sexual functions'. Patients with paraplegia and AIS A or AIS B were at risk for more significant impairments in b735 'muscle tone functions'.
Conclusion:
Using the ICF, we were able to describe the range and extent of functioning problems experienced by patients with SCI who were admitted in our rehabilitation center. Moreover, the use of the ICF improved the interaction between specialists.
