Bulletin 16 - Profile of the newly incident cases of spinal cord damage from non-traumatic causes
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Profile of the newly incident cases of spinal cord damage from non-traumatic causes
Sixty-seven cases of spinal cord damage from non-traumatic causes, newly
incident in 1995/96, were reported by the SUs. There was a substantial
difference in the number of cases reported by State of residence (see below)
which is most unlikely to reflect real differences in incidence. The pattern of
reporting by State suggests that the total number of cases reported by the SUs
cannot be taken to be an accurate measure of the national incidence of this
condition. It is unknown to what extent it understates the true incidence figure.
| State |
Number |
Percentage |
| NSW |
9 |
13 |
| QLD |
11 |
17 |
| SA |
15 |
22 |
| VIC |
28 |
42 |
| WA& NT |
4 |
6 |
| Total |
67 |
100 |
Demographically and clinically, the non-trauma cases were quite distinct from
rthe trauma cases. Females comprised 52% of the non-trauma cases compared with
24% of the trauma cases. Whilst the mean age of the trauma cases was 38 years,
the mean age of the non-trauma cases was 53 years. The aetiology of
non-traumatic SCI was most commonly identified as tumour or tumour related
factors, aortic aneurysm, spinal stenosis, spinal abscess and transverse
myelitis. The neurological level of the damage to the spinal cord amongst the
non-trauma cases was most commonly in the thoracic segments (53%) and
incomplete neurological damage was most common (88%). The average length of
hospital stay of the non-trauma cases was 84 days compared with 135 days for
persisting cases of SCI from traumatic causes.
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