[Survival and cause of death after traumatic spinal cord injury. A long-term epidemiological study]

Life expectancy among individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) has remained lower than normal, even with optimal medical management. But improvement has been achieved, as shown by this study of an unselected population of survivors of traumatic SCI, dead or still living. There has been complete follow-up over four decades. The survey included a total of 888 individuals who had survived the injury and were rehabilitated at the Centre for the Spinal Cord Injured, East-Denmark between 1.1.1953-31.12.1990. At the end of the follow-up, 31st of December 1992, 236 had died. The most common causes of death were lung diseases, ischaemic heart diseases and suicide. The Standardised Mortality Ratios (SMRs) were highest for septicaemia, uraemia and pneumonia. Likewise, except for pneumonia, suicide and ischaemic heart disease, a decrease over time in SMRs was seen for all causes of death. The patterns of causes of death in the study group begin to approximate those of the general population.