Factors associated with the SCI event

In addition to collecting information on the demographic features of cases of SCI, the ASCIR also collected information about factors associated with the injury event such as external cause of injury, role of human intent, type of place of injury, and type of activity at the time of injury. These factors, which were coded in ASCIR according to the National Injury Surveillance Unit (NISU) National Data Standards for Injury Surveillance (NDS-IS)³, provide useful information for understanding the cause and prevention of SCI.

External cause of injury

Figure 5: Incidence of persisting SCI from traumatic causes by external cause of injury (major groupings) and age group, Australia 1996/97 (counts)

The external cause of injury for persisting cases of SCI from traumatic causes is presented in Figure 5. It was evident that:

• Motor vehicle occupants accounted for the highest proportion of all persisting cases of SCI (27 per cent, n=60). Sixty-seven per cent (n=40) of these cases were in the age group 15-44 years.
• Twenty-three per cent (n=53) were from high falls (drop of 1 metre or more). Eighty-one per cent (n=43) of these cases were in the age group 15-54 years.
• ^§Eleven per cent (n=25) were attributed to diving or other water-related accidents. In the age group 15-24 years, accidents of this type were second only to transport accidents (motor vehicle occupants and unprotected road users) as the cause of SCI. The number of SCIs from this cause in 1996/97 (n=25) was almost twice the number reported in 1995/96 (n=13). Of these cases, 40 per cent (n=10) occurred in the surf, 20 per cent (n=5) in swimming pools, and 40 per cent (n=10) in other water-related accidents^§. It is difficult to know what to make of the apparent increase in water-related SCI over such a short period. There have been anecdotal reports in the daily press over the recent summer of an increase in water-related accidents which, if that is true, could further increase the incidence of SCI from this cause in 1997/98. To more fully assess the nature and magnitude of any trends in SCI from diving or other water-related accidents would require a study over a longer time period. Currently, there are some gaps in the available time series information, which are, however, being addressed with the assistance of the Director's of the SUs.
• Eleven per cent (n=24) were from low falls (fall on the same level, or less than 1 metre), and 63 per cent of these cases were aged 55 plus.
• Eleven per cent (n=24) of cases were unprotected road users. Seventy-nine per cent (n=19) of these cases were motor cyclists. Seventy-five per cent (n=18) of the unprotected road users were in the 15-34 year age group.
• Eighteen per cent (n=40) of cases of SCI were coded to other causes, such as struck by person or object (17 cases), horse-related (6 cases), firearms and stabbing (4 cases), other transport (3 cases), and the remaining 10 cases coded to other or unspecified causes.

^§ Note: Diving and other water-related accidents were identified from the structured narrative description of the injury event provided on the `Case Registration Form' as there was no specific code for this group in NDS-IS version 2.0. The coding will be reviewed to reflect recent changes in external cause coding in NDS-IS version 2.1 and improved activity coding, and will be implemented during 1998.