526 spinal cord injuries: experience of the Louisiana Rehabilitation Institute, 1965-1984

A retrospective chart review was carried out on all spinal cord injured patients admitted to the Louisiana Rehabilitation Institute, Charity Hospital, between 1965 and 1984. In addition, former patients who could be contacted and who gave their informal consent were interviewed by telephone about th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Journal of the Louisiana State Medical Society Vol. 143; no. 7; p. 31
Main Authors Mawson, A R, Snelling, L, Winchester, Y, Biundo, Jr, J J
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.07.1991
Subjects
Accidents - statistics & numerical data
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Child
Female
Humans
Louisiana
Male
Middle Aged
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
Spinal Cord Injuries - etiology
Wounds, Nonpenetrating - etiology
Wounds, Penetrating - etiology
Louisiana
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Summary:A retrospective chart review was carried out on all spinal cord injured patients admitted to the Louisiana Rehabilitation Institute, Charity Hospital, between 1965 and 1984. In addition, former patients who could be contacted and who gave their informal consent were interviewed by telephone about the circumstances of their injury. The patients were most commonly male (86%) and black (53%); the average age at injury was 29, the most common diagnosis was complete paraplegia (44%); and the leading cause of injury was gunshot (or other penetrating) wounds (41%) followed by motor vehicle crashes (36%). These findings mirror the pattern of serious injury in Orleans Parish as a whole and point to firearms as a major health hazard in this community.
ISSN:0024-6921