Functional abilities, incidences of complications and falls of patients with spinal cord injury 6 months after discharge

Study design: A prospective study. Objectives: To evaluate the changes of functional abilities, incidences of complications and falls of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) 6 months after discharge. Setting: A major tertiary referral hospital, Thailand. Methods: Forty-four patients with SCI completed the study. Their average age and post-injury time were 45.23 +/- 13.78 years and 51.52 +/- 47.87 months respectively. Functional abilities of the subjects were measured by using the Spinal Cord Independence Measure II (SCIM II). Incidences of complications and falls were prospectively assessed every month by using a questionnaire. Results: After 6 months, the SCIM II scores of subjects showed a slight decrease (58.60 +/- 21.22-58.37 +/- 22.06 scores). The significant decrement was illustrated in self-care and mobility scores of subjects with chronic motor incomplete SCI (P < 0.05). Forty subjects experienced at least one medical complication (range 1-5 times) which 11 of them had to re-admit for 3-30 days. Twenty-four subjects sustained at least one fall in 6 months (range 1-24 times) which one subject had metatarsal bone fracture after fall. Conclusion: The functional ability of subjects with SCI, particularly those with chronic motor incomplete SCI, significantly decreased after discharge. The subjects also encountered a high risk of complications and falls that might associate with the decrement of functional ability. The findings confirmed important roles of community rehabilitation after discharge. Spinal Cord (2011) 49, 520-524; doi: 10.1038/sc.2010.163; published online 14 December 2010