Spinal
Cord Injury in Wisconsin
New information about the incidence and cost of spinal cord injuries is
being analyzed by the Wisconsin Office for Persons with
Physical Disabilities (OPPD).
In 1995, the Medical College of Wisconsin received a five-year federal grant to become a
Model
Spinal Cord Injury Center. To accomplish the goals of the grant, OPPD was
subcontracted to gather and evaluate data about spinal cord injury (SCI). "Our
goal," explains OPPD Director Dan Johnson, "is to determine what events cause
these injuries. With that information, we can develop effective prevention strategies and
decide how best to finance health care and rehabilitation programs."
Information from an eight-year period—beginning in 1990 and ending
in 1997—is being reviewed by SCI Analyst, Kimberly Schindler. "The data for the
project," Ms. Schindler says, "was provided by the state Office of Health Care Information
(OHCI). It’s available because hospitals in Wisconsin are required by law to report
various statistics to OHCI."
The final report of the spinal cord injury project will be published
next year, Ms. Schindler notes, "but we’ve already found some distinct trends in
the data."
WHO SUSTAINS A SPINAL CORD INJURY?
Between January 1, 1990 and December 31, 1997, 1502 Wisconsin residents
were hospitalized for a spinal cord injury. Seventy-four percent of the injured
individuals were male, and 26% were female.
People as young as two and as old as 96 sustained spinal cord injuries
during this period. The average age at the time of injury was 41.7; the most frequent age
at injury was 21. Thirty-five percent of all injuries occurred to people between the ages
of 16 and 30. The next highest age group was 31 to 45, with 25% of all injuries.
WHAT CAUSES SPINAL CORD INJURIES?
Based on the available information, the leading cause of spinal cord
injury was accidental falls—accounting for 429, or 29%, of all injuries. Motor
vehicle crashes caused 27%, or 411, spinal cord injuries.
WHEN DO SPINAL CORD INJURIES OCCUR?
Fifty percent of all spinal cord injuries occurred during the weekend.
Injuries were least likely on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
The majority of spinal cord injuries occurred during the warmer
months—May through October. July was the highest, followed by September. December had
the lowest occurrence of injuries.
WHAT IS THE COST OF HOSPITALIZATION?
The average inpatient hospitalization ranged from 35.2 days in 1990, to
26.9 days in 1997. The average stay for men was 35.6 days, compared to 30.3 days for
women.
In 1990, the average cost for a hospital stay was $55,542. By 1997, the
average cost had increased to $61,758. The average cost for a man’s stay was $68,201,
compared to $56,372 for a woman’s.
"These figures," cautions Ms. Schindler, "do not reflect
the total cost for spinal cord injuries. After hospitalization, there are considerable
additional expenses for medical equipment, ongoing medical care, home and vehicle
modifications, and attendant care."
RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE WITH S.C.I.
NATIONAL SPINAL CORD INJURY ASSOCIATION
www.spinalcord.org (exit
DHS)
1-800/962-9629
SPINAL CORD INJURY PROJECT
Dan Johnson, Physical
Disabilities Resources Coordinator
Office of Independence and Employment
1 W. Wilson Street, Room 1150
Post Office Box 7851
Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7851
GRANT INFORMATION
This research was supported by grant H133N50024
of the Model Spinal Cord Injury System from the
National Institute on Disability and
Rehabilitation Research,
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
US Department of Education, Washington, DC.
FILE #14: September, 1999.
Alternative format versions are available on request.
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Last Revised: June 16, 2009
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