Table 1.
Demographic data by anticoagulation timing
| Variable | <24 Hours (n=49) | 24–72 Hours (n=20) | >72 Hours (n=10) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (yr) | 53.9 ± 18.1 | 50.3 ± 23.5 | 43.9 ± 22.9 | > 0.330 | |
| Sex | |||||
| Male | 39 (79.6) | 17 (85.0) | 5 (50.0) | 0.080 | |
| Female | 10 (20.4) | 3 (15.0) | 5 (50.0) | ||
| Race | |||||
| White | 23 (46.9) | 10 (50.0) | 4 (40.0) | 0.984 | |
| Hispanic | 9 (18.4) | 3 (15.0) | 3 (30.0) | ||
| Asian | 7 (14.3) | 3 (15.0) | 1 (10.0) | ||
| Black | 7 (14.3) | 3 (15.0) | 2 (20.0) | ||
| Other | 3 (6.1) | 1 (5.0) | 0 (0) | ||
| Injury level | |||||
| Cervical | 32 (65.3) | 13 (65.0) | 4 (40.0) | 0.387 | |
| Thoracic | 15 (30.6) | 7 (35.0) | 6 (60.0) | ||
| Lumbar | 2 (4.1) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | ||
| AIS score | |||||
| A | 23 (46.9) | 5 (25.0) | 3 (30.0) | 0.049 | |
| B | 10 (20.4) | 2 (10.0) | 3 (30.0) | ||
| C | 12 (24.5) | 5 (25.0) | 3 (30.0) | ||
| D | 4 (8.2) | 8 (40.0) | 1 (10.0) | ||
| Syndromes | |||||
| Central cord | 11 (22.4) | 2 (10.0) | 0 (0) | 0.145 | |
| Vertebral fractures | |||||
| Burst | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0.320 | |
| Chance | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Teardrop | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Dislocation | 6 | 2 | 3 | ||
| Dens | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Other | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
| Other injuries | |||||
| TBI | 3 (6.1) | 5 (25.0) | 2 (20.0) | 0.077 | |
| Orthopaedic injury | 8 (16.3) | 6 (30.0) | 4 (40.0) | 0.179 | |
| Injury mechanism | |||||
| Vehicle accident | 16 (32.7) | 9 (45.0) | 4 (40.0) | 0.779 | |
| Fall | 18 (36.7) | 7 (35.0) | 4 (40.0) | ||
| Recreation | 7 (14.3) | 1 (5.0) | 0 (0) | ||
| Fallen object | 1 (2.0) | 1 (5.0) | 1 (10.0) | ||
| Other | 7 (14.3) | 2 (10.0) | 1 (10.0) | ||
| Surgery | |||||
| Laminectomy/fusion | 30 (61.2) | 8 (40.0) | 5 (50.0) | 0.828 | |
| Fusion | 9 (18.4) | 5 (25.0) | 2 (20.0) | ||
| ACDF | 7 (14.3) | 5 (25.0) | 2 (20.0) | ||
| Laminectomy | 3 (6.1) | 2 (10.0) | 1 (10.0) | ||
| Time to surgery (hr) | 23.7 | 29.1 | 28.4 | > 0.838 | |
| Anticoagulant | |||||
| UFH | 43 (87.8) | 19 (95.0) | 8 (80.0) | 0.454 | |
| LMWH | 6 (12.2) | 1 (5.0) | 2 (20.0) | ||
| VTE diagnostic studies | |||||
| LE Doppler US | 33 (67.3) | 13 (65.0) | 8 (80.0) | 0.686 | |
| CTA chest | 31 (63.3) | 12 (60.0) | 7 (70.0) | 0.866 | |
| Surgical drain placed | 40 (81.6) | 16 (80.0) | 10 (100) | 0.319 | |
Values are presented as mean±standard deviation or number (%).
AIS, American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale; TBI, traumatic brain injury; ACDF, anterior cervical discectomy and fusion; UFH, unfractionated heparin; LMWH, low molecular weight heparin; LE, lower extremity; US, ultrasound; CTA, computed tomography angiography.
p-values refer to a chi-square comparison between early, standard, and late anticoagulation timing groups. p-value for age refers to a 1-way analysis of variance calculation.