Implementing Lived Experience Workshops in Regional Areas of British Columbia to Enhance Clinicians' Confidence in Spinal Cord Injury Care: An Evaluation.

In British Columbia (BC), there are challenges accessing specialized spinal cord injury care and resources. This paper evaluated the impact of spinal cord injury health educational workshops delivered in regional communities that were informed by persons with lived experience. A community survey was conducted with 44 persons with lived experience in a BC region to identify priority SCI health-related topics. Twenty-five topics were ranked from 1-14, with bowel and bladder management ranked 1 and 4, sexual health ranked 5, and pressure injuries ranked 7. Clinical perspectives on the priorities were collected from 102 clinicians in the BC region, who independently ranked 14 of these SCI topics and considered the former 4 topics to be lower clinical priority (ranked 11-14). These priorities informed a series of SCI clinical education workshops held at healthcare facilities in three regional cities. The goals were to improve clinicians' knowledge and confidence levels when managing spinal cord injury health and to facilitate person-centred care. Positive feedback demonstrated that educational workshops supported by lived experience perspectives effectively enhanced the clinicians' understanding of spinal cord injury and their priorities. Future plans include engaging more administrators as part of this initiative and conducting workshops in other regions of BC.

Classifying clinical phenotypes of functional recovery for acute traumatic spinal cord injury. An observational cohort study.

PURPOSE: Identify patient subgroups with different functional outcomes after SCI and study the association between functional status and initial ISNCSCI components. METHODS: Using CART, we performed an observational cohort study on data from 675 patients enrolled in the Rick-Hansen Registry(RHSCIR) between 2014 and 2019. The outcome was the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM) and predictors included AIS, NLI, UEMS, LEMS, pinprick(PPSS), and light touch(LTSS) scores. A temporal validation was performed on data from 62 patients treated between 2020 and 2021 in one of the RHSCIR participating centers. RESULTS: The final CART resulted in four subgroups with increasing totSCIM according to PPSS, LEMS, and UEMS: 1)PPSS < 27(totSCIM = 28.4 ± 16.3); 2)PPSS ≥ 27, LEMS < 1.5, UEMS < 45(totSCIM = 39.5 ± 19.0); 3)PPSS ≥ 27, LEMS < 1.5, UEMS ≥ 45(totSCIM = 57.4 ± 13.8); 4)PPSS ≥ 27, LEMS ≥ 1.5(totSCIM = 66.3 ± 21.7). The validation model performed similarly to the original model. The adjusted R-squared and F-test were respectively 0.556 and 62.2(P-value <0.001) in the development cohort and, 0.520 and 31.9(P-value <0.001) in the validation cohort. CONCLUSION: Acknowledging the presence of four characteristic subgroups of patients with distinct phenotypes of functional recovery based on PPSS, LEMS, and UEMS could be used by clinicians early after tSCI to plan rehabilitation and establish realistic goals. An improved sensory function could be key for potentiating motor gains, as a PPSS ≥ 27 was a predictor of a good function.

After a traumatic Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), early neurological examination using the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) is recommended to determine initial injury severity and prognosis.This study identified three initial ISNCSCI components defining four subgroups of SCI patients with different expectations in functional outcomes, namely the initial pinprick sensory score, the Lower Extremity Motor Score, and the Upper Extremity Motor Score.Clinicians could use these subgroups early after tSCI to plan rehabilitation and set realistic therapeutic goals regarding functional outcomes.In clinical practice, careful and accurate assessment of pinprick sensation early after the SCI is crucial when predicting function or stratifying patients based on the expected function.

An Economic Analysis of the Association Among Secondary Health Conditions, Health Care Costs, and Quality of Life for Persons With Spinal Cord Injury.

Background: A previous analysis using the Canadian Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Community Survey data identified that there were individuals with a high number of secondary health conditions, high health care utilization, poor health outcomes, and unmet health care needs. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to estimate the annual health care costs of persons with SCI who report secondary health conditions, and to determine the association between these secondary health conditions with health care utilization and self-reported life satisfaction and quality of life. Methods: The survey respondents were divided into four groups: traumatic SCI (tSCI; those who said they received needed care and those who said they did not) and nontraumatic SCI (ntSCI; those who said they received needed care and those who said they did not). The average annual health care costs per respondent were estimated for each group. Using regression analysis, we estimated the change in average annual health care costs that were associated with an additional secondary health condition for respondents in each group. Results: Participants who reported not receiving needed care had on average 23% more secondary health conditions than those receiving needed care. The increase in average annual health care costs associated with one additional secondary health conditions was between $428 ($37-$820) (ntSCI, receiving needed care) and $1240 ($739-$1741) (tSCI, not receiving needed care). Conclusion: This study provides insight into potential cost savings associated with a reduction of secondary health conditions as well as an estimate of the reduction in health care costs associated with moving from not receiving all needed care to receiving needed care.

Enabling knowledge translation: implementation of a web-based tool for independent walking prediction after traumatic spinal cord injury.

Introduction: Several clinical prediction rules (CPRs) have been published, but few are easily accessible or convenient for clinicians to use in practice. We aimed to develop, implement, and describe the process of building a web-based CPR for predicting independent walking 1-year after a traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI). Methods: Using the published and validated CPR, a front-end web application called "Ambulation" was built using HyperText Markup Language (HTML), Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), and JavaScript. A survey was created using QualtricsXM Software to gather insights on the application's usability and user experience. Website activity was monitored using Google Analytics. Ambulation was developed with a core team of seven clinicians and researchers. To refine the app's content, website design, and utility, 20 professionals from different disciplines, including persons with lived experience, were consulted. Results: After 11 revisions, Ambulation was uploaded onto a unique web domain and launched (www.ambulation.ca) as a pilot with 30 clinicians (surgeons, physiatrists, and physiotherapists). The website consists of five web pages: Home, Calculation, Team, Contact, and Privacy Policy. Responses from the user survey (n = 6) were positive and provided insight into the usability of the tool and its clinical utility (e.g., helpful in discharge planning and rehabilitation), and the overall face validity of the CPR. Since its public release on February 7, 2022, to February 28, 2023, Ambulation had 594 total users, 565 (95.1%) new users, 26 (4.4%) returning users, 363 (61.1%) engaged sessions (i.e., the number of sessions that lasted 10 seconds/longer, had one/more conversion events e.g., performing the calculation, or two/more page or screen views), and the majority of the users originating from the United States (39.9%) and Canada (38.2%). Discussion: Ambulation is a CPR for predicting independent walking 1-year after TSCI and it can assist frontline clinicians with clinical decision-making (e.g., time to surgery or rehabilitation plan), patient education and goal setting soon after injury. This tool is an example of adapting a validated CPR for independent walking into an easily accessible and usable web-based tool for use in clinical practice. This study may help inform how other CPRs can be adopted into clinical practice.

Nationwide emergency department visits for pediatric traumatic spinal cord injury in the United States, 2016-2020.

Introduction: Traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) is a debilitating neurological condition resulting in lifelong disability for many individuals. The primary objectives of our study were to describe national trends in incident emergency department (ED) visits for tSCI among children (less than 21 years) in the United States, and to determine the proportion of visits that resulted in immediate hospitalization each year, including stratified by age and sex. Secondary objectives were to examine associations between select characteristics and hospitalization following tSCI, as well as to assess sports-related tSCIs over time, including by individual sport and geographic region. Methods: We used the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Emergency Department Sample to identify ED visits among children between January 2016 and December 2020 for incident tSCI. Diagnosis codes were used to identify tSCI and sports-related injury etiologies. Census Bureau data were used to approximate annual rates of pediatric ED visits for tSCI per 100,000 children. Unconditional logistic regression modeling assessed whether select factors were associated with hospital admission. Results: We found that the annual ED visit rate for tSCI remained relatively stable between 2016 and 2020, with approximately 2,200 new all-cause pediatric ED visits for tSCI annually. Roughly 70% of ED visits for tSCI resulted in hospitalization; most ED visits for tSCI were by older children (15-20 years) and males, who were also more often admitted to the hospital. Notable secondary findings included: (a) compared with older children (15-20 years), younger children (10-14 years) were less likely to be hospitalized immediately following an ED visit for tSCI; (b) patient sex and race were not associated with hospital admission; and (c) American tackle football was the leading cause of sports-related ED visits for tSCI among children. Our findings also suggest that the proportion of sports-related tSCI ED visits may have increased in recent years. Discussion: Future research should further examine trends in the underlying etiologies of pediatric tSCI, while assessing the effectiveness of new and existing interventions aimed at tSCI prevention.

Construct validity of the international standards to document remaining autonomic function after spinal cord injury (ISAFSCI) (1st edition).

STUDY DESIGN: Observational study. OBJECTIVES: To assess the construct validity of the International Standards to Document Remaining Autonomic Function after Spinal Cord Injury (ISAFSCI) (2012 1st Edition). SETTING: Two Canadian spinal cord injury (SCI) centers. METHODS: Data were collected between 2011-2014. Assessments included the ISAFSCI, standardized measures of autonomic function and a clinical examination. Construct validity of ISAFSCI was assessed by testing a priori hypotheses on expected ISAFSCI responses to standard measures (convergent hypotheses) and clinical variables (clinical hypotheses). RESULTS: Forty-nine participants with an average age of 45 ± 12 years were included, of which 42 (85.7%) were males, 37 (77.6%) had a neurological level of injury at or above T6, and 23 (46.9%) were assessed as having motor and sensory complete SCI. For the six General Autonomic Function component hypotheses, two hypotheses (1 clinical, 1 convergent) related to autonomic control of blood pressure and one clinical hypothesis for temperature regulation were statistically significant. In terms of the Lower Urinary Tract, Bowel and Sexual Function component of the ISAFSCI, all the hypotheses (5 convergent, 3 clinical) were statistically significant except for the hypotheses on female sexual items (2 convergent, 2 clinical), likely due to small sample size. CONCLUSION: The construct validity of ISAFSCI (2012 1st Edition) for the General Autonomic Function component was considered to be weak while it was much stronger for the Lower Urinary Tract, Bowel and Sexual Function component based on a priori hypotheses. These results can inform future psychometric studies of the ISAFSCI (2021 2nd Edition).

Examining the impact of COVID-19 on health care utilization among persons with chronic spinal cord injury/dysfunction: a population study.

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective longitudinal cohort time-series analysis study. OBJECTIVES: To examine healthcare utilization and delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic in individuals with spinal cord injury/dysfunction (SCI/D). SETTING: Health administrative database in Ontario, Canada. METHODS: In 5754 individuals with SCI/D diagnosed from 2004-2014 and living in the community, healthcare utilization (physician visits, primary care visits, specialist visits, urologist visits, physiatrist visits, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospital admissions) and delivery (total, in-person, virtual) were determined at the (1) pre-pandemic period (March 2015 to February 2020), (2) initial pandemic onset period (March 2020-May 2020), and (3) pandemic period (June 2020 to March 2022). Autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) modelling was conducted to determine the impact of the pandemic on monthly healthcare utilization and delivery. RESULTS: The initial pandemic onset period had a significant reduction of 24% in physicians (p = 0.0081), 35% in specialists (p < 0.0001), and 30% in urologist (p < 0.0001) visits, compared to pre-pandemic levels, with a partial recovery as the pandemic progressed. In April 2020, compared to the pre-pandemic period, a significant increase (p < 0.0001) in virtual visits for physicians, specialists, urologists, and primary care was found. The initial pandemic onset period had a 58% decrease in hospital admissions (p = 0.0011), compared to the pre-pandemic period. CONCLUSION: Healthcare utilization dropped in the initial pandemic onset period as physicians, specialists, and urologists, as well as hospitalization visits decreased significantly (p < 0.05) versus pre-pandemic levels. Virtual visit increases compensated for in-person visit decreases as the pandemic progressed to allow for total visits to partially recover.

Multimorbidity in persons with non-traumatic spinal cord injury and its impact on healthcare utilization and health outcomes.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey in Canada. OBJECTIVES: To explore multimorbidity (the coexistence of two/more health conditions) in persons with non-traumatic spinal cord injury (NTSCI) and evaluate its impact on healthcare utilization (HCU) and health outcomes. SETTING: Community-dwelling persons. METHODS: Data from the Spinal Cord Injury Community Survey (SCICS) was used. A multimorbidity index (MMI) consisting of 30 secondary health conditions (SHCs), the 7-item HCU questionnaire, the Short Form-12 (SF-12), Life Satisfaction-11 first question, and single-item Quality of Life (QoL) measure were administered. Additionally, participants were grouped as "felt needed healthcare was received" (Group 1, n = 322) or "felt needed healthcare was not received" (Group 2, n = 89) using the HCU question. Associations among these variables were assessed using multivariable analysis. RESULTS: 408 of 412 (99%) participants with NTSCI reported multimorbidity. Constipation, spasticity, and fatigue were the most prevalent self-reported SHCs. Group 1 had a higher MMI score compared to Group 2 (p < 0.001). A higher MMI score correlated with the feeling of not receiving needed care (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.08-1.21), lower SF-12 (physical/mental component summary scores), being unsatisfied with life, and lower QoL (all p < 0.001). Additionally, Group 1 had more females (p < 0.001), non-Caucasians (p = 0.034), and lower personal annual income (p = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: Persons with NTSCI have multimorbidity, and the MMI score was associated with increased HCU and worse health outcomes. This work emphasizes the critical need for improved healthcare and monitoring. Future work determining specific thresholds for the MMI could be helpful for triage screening to identify persons at higher risk of poor outcomes.

Incidence and prevalence of traumatic spinal cord injury in Canada using health administrative data.

Introduction: Incidence and prevalence data are needed for the planning, funding, delivery and evaluation of injury prevention and health care programs. The objective of this study was to estimate the Canadian traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) incidence, prevalence and trends over time using national-level health administrative data. Methods: ICD-10 CA codes were used to identify the cases for the hospital admission and discharge incidence rates of TSCI in Canada from 2005 to 2016. Provincial estimates were calculated using the location of the admitting facility. Age and sex-specific incidence rates were set to the 2015/2016 rates for the 2017 to 2019 estimates. Annual incidence rates were used as input for the prevalence model that applied annual survivorship rates derived from life expectancy data. Results: For 2019, it was estimated that there were 1,199 cases (32.0 per million) of TSCI admitted to hospitals, with 123 (10% of admissions) in-hospital deaths and 1,076 people with TSCI (28.7 per million) were discharged in Canada. The estimated number of people living with TSCI was 30,239 (804/million); 15,533 (52%) with paraplegia and 14,706 (48%) with tetraplegia. Trends included an increase in the number of people injured each year from 874 to 1,199 incident cases (37%), an older average age at injury rising from 46.6 years to 54.3 years and a larger proportion over the age of 65 changing from 22 to 38%, during the 15-year time frame. Conclusion: This study provides a standard method for calculating the incidence and prevalence of TSCI in Canada using national-level health administrative data. The estimates are conservative based on the limitations of the data but represent a large Canadian sample over 15 years, which highlight national trends. An increasing number of TSCI cases among the elderly population due to falls reported in this study can inform health care planning, prevention strategies, and future research.

Using the Standing and Walking Assessment Tool at Discharge Predicts Community Outdoor Walking Capacity in Persons With Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury.

OBJECTIVE: The Standing and Walking Assessment Tool (SWAT) standardizes the timing and content of walking assessments during inpatient rehabilitation by combining 12 stages ranging from lowest to highest function (0, 0.5, 1A, 1B, 1C, 2A, 2B, 2C, 3A, 3B, 3C, and 4) with 5 standard measures: the Berg Balance Scale, the modified Timed "Up & Go" test, the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale, the modified 6-Minute Walk Test, and the 10-Meter Walk Test (10MWT). This study aimed to determine if the SWAT at rehabilitation discharge could predict outdoor walking capacity 1-year after discharge in people with traumatic spinal cord injury. METHODS: This retrospective study used data obtained from the Rick Hansen Spinal Cord Injury Registry from 2014 to 2020. Community outdoor walking capacity was measured using the Spinal Cord Independence Measure III (SCIM III) outdoor mobility score obtained 12 (±4) months after discharge. Of 206 study participants, 90 were community nonwalkers (ie, SCIM III score 0-3), 41 were community walkers with aids (ie, SCIM III score 4-6), and 75 were independent community walkers (ie, SCIM III score 7-8). Bivariate, multivariable regression, and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were performed. RESULTS: At rehabilitation discharge, 3 significant SWAT associations were confirmed: 0-3A with community nonwalkers, 3B/higher with community walkers with and without an aid, and 4 with independent community walkers. Moreover, at discharge, a higher (Berg Balance Scale, Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale), faster (modified Timed "Up & Go," 10MWT), or further (10MWT) SWAT measure was significantly associated with independent community walking. Multivariable analysis indicated that all SWAT measures, except the 10MWT were significant predictors of independent community walking. Furthermore, the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale had the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic score (0.91), demonstrating an excellent ability to distinguish community walkers with aids from independent community walkers. CONCLUSION: The SWAT stage and measures at discharge can predict community outdoor walking capacity in persons with traumatic spinal cord injury. Notably, a patient's confidence in performing activities plays an important part in achieving walking ability in the community. IMPACT: The discharge SWAT is useful to optimize discharge planning.

Impact of Specialized Versus Non-Specialized Acute Hospital Care on Survival Among Patients With Acute Incomplete Traumatic Spinal Cord Injuries: A Population-Based Observational Study from British Columbia, Canada.

Given the complexity of care necessitated after an acute traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), it seems intuitively beneficial for such care to be delivered at hospitals with specialized SCI expertise. Demonstrating these benefits is not straightforward, however. We sought to determine whether specialized acute hospital care influenced the most fundamental outcomes after SCI: mortality within the first year of injury. We compared survival among patients with incomplete tSCI admitted to a single quaternary-level trauma hospital with a specialized acute SCI program versus those admitted to trauma hospitals without specialized acute SCI care. We performed a population-based retrospective observational cohort study using administrative and clinical data linked from multiple sources in British Columbia (BC) from 2001 to 2017. Among a cohort of 1920 patients, there were 193 deaths within one year. We failed to identify a significant overall benefit for survival after adjusting for potential confounders, and the confidence intervals (CIs) were compatible with both benefit and harm (odds ratio [OR] 1.01, 95% CI 0.17 to 6.11, p = 0.99). Significant associations were observed with age greater than 65 (OR 4.92, 95% CI 1.66 to 14.57, p < 0.01), Charlson Comorbidity Index (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.42 to 1.83, p < 0.01), Injury Severity Score (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.11, p < 0.01), and traumatic brain injury (OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.32 to 3.41, p < 0.01). Among patients with acute tSCI, admission to a hospital with specialized acute SCI care was not associated with improved overall one-year survival. Subgroup analyses, however, suggested heterogeneity of effects, with little benefit for older patients with less polytrauma and substantial benefit for younger patients with greater polytrauma.

Spinal Cord Injury Community Personal Opinions and Perspectives on Spinal Cord Stimulation.

Background: Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) clinical trials are evaluating its efficacy and safety for motor, sensory, and autonomic recovery following spinal cord injury (SCI). The perspectives of people living with SCI are not well known and can inform the planning, delivery, and translation of SCS. Objectives: To obtain input from people living with SCI on the top priorities for recovery, expected meaningful benefits, risk tolerance, clinical trial design, and overall interest in SCS. Methods: Data were collected anonymously from an online survey between February and May 2020. Results: A total of 223 respondents living with SCI completed the survey. The majority of respondents identified their gender as male (64%), were 10+ years post SCI (63%), and had a mean age of 50.8 years. Most individuals had a traumatic SCI (81%), and 45% classified themselves as having tetraplegia. Priorities for improved outcome for those with complete or incomplete tetraplegia included fine motor skills and upper body function, whereas priorities for complete or incomplete paraplegia included standing and walking, and bowel function. The meaningful benefits that are important to achieve are bowel and bladder care, less reliance on caregivers, and maintaining physical health. Perceived potential risks include further loss of function, neuropathic pain, and complications. Barriers to participation in clinical trials include inability to relocate, out-of-pocket expenses, and awareness of therapy. Respondents were more interested in transcutaneous SCS than epidural SCS (80% and 61%, respectively). Conclusion: SCS clinical trial design, participant recruitment, and translation of the technology can be improved by better reflecting the priorities and preferences of those living with SCI identified from this study.

International spinal cord injury socio-demographic basic data set (version 1.0).

STUDY DESIGN: Consensus based on the literature. OBJECTIVE: Create an International Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Socio-Demographic Basic Data Set (Version 1.0). SETTING: International. METHODS: The development included an iterative process where the authors reviewed existing variables containing socio-demographic variables and created a first dataset draft, which was followed by several revisions through email communications. In addition, the work was conducted in parallel with a similar endeavour within the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke SCI Common Data Elements project in the United States. Subsequently, harmonization between the two projects was sought. Following this, a review process was initiated, including The International SCI Data Sets Committee, the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Board, and the International Spinal Cord Society (ISCoS) Scientific and Executive Committees, and then by publishing on the respective websites for membership feedback. The draft was sent to about 40 national and international organizations and several interested individuals for feedback. All review comments were discussed in the working group and responded to before the final draft was developed, and finally approved by ASIA Board and the ISCoS Scientific and Executive committees. RESULTS: The final International SCI Socio-Demographic Basic Data Set includes the following variables: Date of data collection, Marital status, Household member count, Years of formal education, and Primary occupation. CONCLUSION: The International SCI Socio-Demographic Basic Data Set will facilitate uniform data collection and reporting of socio-demographic information at the time of injury as well as at post-injury follow-ups to facilitate the evaluation and comparisons across studies.

Technology used in activity based therapy for individuals living with spinal cord injury across Canada.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional equipment inventory. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to describe the equipment used in activity-based therapy (ABT) programs for individuals with spinal cord injury or disorder (SCI/D) across Canada. SETTINGS: Publicly funded and private SCI/D care settings. METHODS: A survey on equipment available for ABT for different therapeutic goals was answered by Canadian sites providing SCI/D rehabilitation. Information about the setting and type of client were also collected. The survey results were compiled into an inventory of the reported types and use of ABT related equipment, with equipment grouped into varying levels of technology. Descriptive statistics and qualitative descriptive analysis were used to answer the questions: (1) 'who' used the equipment, (2) 'what' types of equipment are used, (3) 'why' (i.e., for which therapeutic goals), and (4) 'how' it is used. RESULTS: Twenty-two sites from eight Canadian provinces completed the survey. Reported equipment was classified into 5 categories (from low to high-tech). Most equipment reported was used to train balance. The high-tech equipment reported as available, was mostly used for walking training and strengthening of the lower limbs. Low-tech equipment was reported as being used most frequently, while high-tech devices, although available, were reported as infrequently or rarely used. CONCLUSIONS: A large spectrum of equipment with varying levels of technology were reported as available, but were inconsistently used to provide ABT interventions across sites. In order to increase the clinical use of available equipment for ABT, education tools such as protocols regarding ABT principles and implementation are needed.

Using Clinical Vignettes and a Modified Expert Delphi Panel to Determine Parameters for Identifying Non-Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury in Health Administrative and Electronic Medical Record Databases.

OBJECTIVE: To obtain expert consensus on the parameters and etiologic conditions required to retrospectively identify cases of non-traumatic spinal cord injury (NTSCI) in health administrative and electronic medical record (EMR) databases based on the rating of clinical vignettes. DESIGN: A modified Delphi process included 2 survey rounds and 1 remote consensus panel. The surveys required the rating of clinical vignettes, developed after chart reviews and expert consultation. Experts who participated in survey rounds were invited to participate in the Delphi Consensus Panel. SETTING: An international collaboration using an online meeting platform. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-one expert physicians and/or clinical researchers in the field of spinal cord injury (SCI). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Agreement on clinical vignettes as NTSCI. Parameters to classify cases of NTSCI in health administrative and EMR databases. RESULTS: In health administrative and EMR databases, cauda equina syndromes should be considered SCI and classified as a NTSCI or TSCI based on the mechanism of injury. A traumatic event needs to be listed for injury to be considered TSCI. To be classified as NTSCI, neurologic sufficient impairments (motor, sensory, bowel, and bladder) are required, in addition to an etiology. It is possible to have both a NTSCI and a TSCI, as well as a recovered NTSCI. If information is unavailable or missing in health administrative and EMR databases, the case may be listed as "unclassifiable" depending on the purpose of the research study. CONCLUSION: The Delphi panel provided guidelines to appropriately classify cases of NTSCI in health administrative and EMR databases.

Computer International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) algorithms: a review.

STUDY DESIGN: Literature review and survey. OBJECTIVES: To provide an overview of existing computerized International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) algorithms and to evaluate the use of the current algorithms in research and clinical care. SETTING: Not applicable. METHODS: Literature review according to three organizing concepts for evaluation of Health Information Products (reach, usefulness, and use) was conducted. RESULTS: While the use of computerized ISNCSCI algorithms has been around for many years, many were developed and used internally for specific projects or not maintained. Today the International SCI community has free access to algorithms from the European Multicenter Study about Spinal Cord Injury (EMSCI) and the Praxis Spinal Cord Institute. Both algorithms have been validated in large datasets and are used in different SCI registries for quality control and education purposes. The use of the Praxis Institute algorithm by clinicians was highlighted through the Praxis User Survey (n = 76) which included participants from 27 countries. The survey found that over half of the participants using the algorithm (N = 69) did so on a regular basis (51%), with 54% having incorporated it into their regular workflow. CONCLUSIONS: Validated computerized ISNCSCI classification tools have evolved substantially and support education, clinical documentation, communication between clinicians and their patients, and ISNCSCI data quality around the world. They are not intended to replace well-trained clinicians, but allow for reclassification of ISNCSCI datasets with updated versions of the ISCNSCI, and support rapid classification of large datasets.

Effect of body mass index on survival after spinal cord injury.

Introduction: Increased mortality after acute and chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a challenge and mandates a better understanding of the factors contributing to survival in these patients. This study investigated whether body mass index (BMI) measured after acute traumatic SCI is associated with a change in mortality. Methods: A prospective longitudinal cohort study was conducted with 742 patients who were admitted to the Acute Spine Unit of the Vancouver General Hospital between 2004 and 2016 with a traumatic SCI. An investigation of the association between BMI on admission and long-term mortality was conducted using classification and regression tree (CART) and generalized additive models (spline curves) from acute care up to 7.7 years after SCI (chronic phase). Multivariable models were adjusted for (i) demographic factors (e.g., age, sex, and Charlson Comorbidity Index) and (ii) injury characteristics (e.g., neurological level and severity and Injury Severity Score). Results: After the exclusion of incomplete datasets (n = 602), 643 patients were analyzed, of whom 102 (18.5%) died during a period up to 7.7 years after SCI. CART identified three distinct mortality risk groups: (i) BMI: > 30.5 kg/m2, (ii) 17.5-30.5 kg/m2, and (iii) < 17.5 kg/m2. Mortality was lowest in the high BMI group (BMI > 30.5 kg/m2), followed by the middle-weight group (17.5-30.5 kg/m2), and was highest in the underweight group (BMI < 17.5 kg/m2). High BMI had a mild protective effect against mortality after SCI (hazard ratio 0.28, 95% CI: 0.09-0.88, p = 0.029), concordant with a modest "obesity paradox". Moreover, being underweight at admission was a significant risk factor for mortality up to 7.7 years after SCI (hazard ratio 5.5, 95% CI: 2.34-13.17, p < 0.001). Discussion: Mortality risk (1 month to 7.7 years after SCI) was associated with differences in BMI at admission. Further research is needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms. Given an established association of BMI with metabolic determinants, these results may suggest unknown neuro-metabolic pathways that are crucial for patient survival.

A Look at Spinal Cord Injury in Canada: Rick Hansen Spinal Cord Injury Registry (RHSCIR) - 2021 SCI Data Summary.

The Rick Hansen Spinal Cord Injury Registry (RHSCIR) is a prospective registry of individuals who sustain a spinal cord injury (SCI) from 18 acute and 14 rehabilitation (rehab) Canadian hospitals specializing in SCI care. The data summary provides demographic and clinical details on 1148 people with either a traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) or a nontraumatic spinal cord injury (ntSCI) who were treated at a RHSCIR hospital in 2021. Information about the patient demographics, cause and severity of injury, care pathway, length of hospital stay, secondary complications, and social impacts after SCI were included. Data from the summary can provide researchers, healthcare providers, and decision makers with knowledge and evidence that may support strategies to improve SCI care services within their institutions.