Table 7.
Association Between Patient and SCI Factors and Outcomes Following Rehabilitationa
| Prognostic Factors | Outcomes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neurologicalb | ADLs25,c | Ambulation | QoLd | Mortality | Rehospitalization | Pressure Ulcers | |
| Patient factors | |||||||
| Older age | (–),38 (O)22 ,39 | (–)19,20 ,40 (O)22,25 ,38 | (O)6,26 | (–)18,19 | (O)22 | (–/O)19,20,21 | (O)19,20 |
| Higher BAC (per 1% increase) | (O)22 | (–)22 | (O)22 | ||||
| Body mass index (≥30 kg/m2) | (–/O)19,20,24 | (+)19,20 | (–/O)19–21 | (O)19,20 | |||
| Higher education level | (+/O),19,20 (O)25 | (+)19,20 | (O)19–21 | (O)19,20 | |||
| Employment status at injury (working as reference) | |||||||
| Retired | (O)19,20 | (O)19–21 | (O)19,20 | ||||
| Student | (O)19,20 | (+/O)19–21 | (O)19,20 | ||||
| Unemployed | (O)19,20 | (–)19,20 | (O)19–21 | (O)19,20 | |||
| Presence of family caregiver during inpatient rehabilitation | (O)25 | ||||||
| Marital status at discharge | (O)19,25 | (O)19–21 | (O)19,20 | ||||
| Primary language (English) | (O)19,20 | (O)19–21 | (O)19,20 | ||||
| Primary payer (private insurance as a reference) | |||||||
| Medicaid | (–)19,20 | (–)19,20 | (–)19–21 | (O)19,20 | |||
| Medicare | (O)19,20 | (O)19 | (O)19–21 | (O)19,20 | |||
| Worker’s compensation | (–/O)19,20 | (–)19,20 | (O)19–21 | (O)19,20 | |||
| Race/Ethnicity | (O)22 | (O)19,20,22 | (O)22 | (O)19–21 | (O)19,20 | ||
| Sex (female) | (O)22 ,39 | (O)19,20,22,25 ,39 | (–)20 | (O)22 | (–/O)19–21 | (O)19,20 | |
| SCI factors | |||||||
| Cause of injury (vehicular as a reference) | (O)22 | (O)22,25 | (O)22 | ||||
| Fall or falling object | (O)19,20,25 | (O)19,20 | |||||
| Sports | (O)19,20,25 | (O)19,20 | |||||
| Violence | (O)19,20 | (O)19,20 | |||||
| Work related | (O)19,20 | (O)19,20 | |||||
| Other | (O)19,20,25 | (–)19,20 | (O)19,20 | ||||
| Higher CCI | (–)23 | (O)23 | |||||
| Central cord syndrome | (O)6 | ||||||
| Higher CMG-TW | (–)21,23 | ||||||
| Completeness of neurologic impairment | (O)6 | ||||||
| Initial conscious level | (O)40 | ||||||
| Higher CSI (admission) | (O)19,20,23 | (–/O)19–21,23 | (–/O)19,20 | ||||
| Higher CSI (maximum) | (–)23 | (O)15 | |||||
| Level of injury (cervical) | (–),22 (O)5 | (O),22 ,40 (–)25 | (O)22 | ||||
| Lower ASIA grade/scale (admission) | (–)19,20,25 | (–)6 | (–/O)19,20 | (–/O)19,20 | |||
| Lower ASIA motor score (admission) | (–)26 | ||||||
| Lower ASIA sensory score (admission) | (–)26 | ||||||
| Lower FIM cognitive score (admission) | (+)19,20 | (–/O)19–21 | (O)19,20 | ||||
| Lower FIM motor score (admission) | (–)19,20,25 | (–/O)19–21 | (–)19,20 | ||||
| Lower Glasgow Coma Scale (admission) | (O)22 | (O)22 | (O)22 | ||||
| Lower Yale Scale Score (admission) | (–)40 | ||||||
| More days from injury to rehabilitation | (–)19,20,25 | (–)19,20 | (–/O)19,20 | (–/O)19,20 | |||
| Shorter length of stay | (–)25 | ||||||
| Severity of injury (complete injury) | (–)22 | (O)22 | (–)26 | (–)22 | |||
| Stronger SSEP recordings (pudendal nerves) | (+)26 | ||||||
| Stronger SSEP recordings (tibial nerves) | (+)26 | ||||||
| Depression/Anxiety | (–)25 | ||||||
| Urinary tract infection | (O)25 | ||||||
| Spasticity | (O)25 | ||||||
| Pressure ulcer | (O)25 | ||||||
| Pain | (O)25 | ||||||
| Destination/Discharged to home | (O)25 | ||||||
Abbreviations: (+) = association with a positive outcome; (–) = association with a negative outcome; (O) = no association; (+/O) = publications from same dataset; association with a positive outcome in one publication, no association in a second publication; (–/O) = publications from same dataset; association with a negative outcome in one publication, no association in a second publication. AIS, ASIA Impairment Scale; ASIA, American Spinal Injury Association; BAC, blood alcohol concentration; BMI, body mass index; CCI, Charlston Comorbidity Index; CMG-TW, case-mix group-tier weight; CoE, class of evidence; CSI, comprehensive severity index; MSCIS, Model Spinal Cord Injury Systems; NASCIS, National Acute Spinal Cord Injury Study; PHQ, patient health questionnaire; SCI, spinal cord injury; SSEP, somatosensory-evoked potentials; SWLS, Satisfaction With Life Scale.
a References 19, 20, 23 and 24 are publications from the same study dataset (SCIRehab) but with different modeling strategies.
b ASIA Grade/Scale, change in level of preserved neurological function, marked recovery, NASCIS Motor score.
c Barthel Scale (independence/dependence), FIM Motor score.
d PHQ-9, SF-12 Physical Health, SWLS.