Abstract
Study Design: A retrospective case-note study.
Objective: To evaluate causes of delayed admission for patients with spinal injuries.
Subjects: 432 patients admitted between March 1998 and March 2003.
Outcome Measures: Patients were analysed with respect to Injury Severity Score (ISS); date of injury, referral and admission independently and length of hospitalisation. The delays between injury and referral (> 3 days) and between referral and admission (> 7days) were correlated to the length of hospitalisation.
Results: There were 322 males (average age, 38.6 years) and 110 females (average age, 41.8 years), with 108 complete injuries, 115 incomplete and 209 intact. The average time between injury and referral was 5.5 days (range 0–94), and between referral and admission was 10.7 days (range 0–130). 161 patients (37%) experienced a delay between injury and referral, of whom 59 (37%) were subsequently also delayed to admission. The principal reason for delay was the treatment of concurrent injuries. Even patients with complete injuries (15/43) experienced delayed referral. 112 patients (26%) experienced a delay between referral and admission. Principal reasons included the provision of beds and stabilisation of concurrent injuries. We found the delay between referral and admission (p< 0.001), the ISS (p< 0.001) and increasing neurological severity of injury (p< 0.001) to be highly significant factors predisposing to longer hospitalisation.
Conclusions: Delayed admission for patients with spinal injuries is common. Provision of beds being the most common preventable reason for delay following referral. Early liason with a designated spinal injuries unit, especially for patients with cord injury remains vitally important.
These abstracts were prepared by Mr. Brian J C Freeman FRCS (Tr & Orth). Correspondence should be addressed to him at The Centre for Spinal Studies and Surgery, University Hospital, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH.
