Profile and costs of secondary conditions resulting in emergency department presentations and readmission to hospital following traumatic spinal cord injury

Abstract

Hospitalisation for complications within two years of traumatic SCI was common and costly in Victoria, Australia. Improved bladder and pressure area management could result in substantial morbidity and cost savings following SCI.

The Economic Burden of Urinary Tract Infection and Pressure Ulceration in Acute Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury Admissions: Evidence for Comparative Economics and Decision Analytics from a Matched Case-Control Study

“…48 Similarly, in two Australia SCI populations, hospitalacquired UTI reportedly added $24,569 and community-acquired UTI severe enough to result in hospitalization added $16,354 to the average costs of care. 16,64 The range in reported costs of PU is even greater than the range in UTI. Average costs of PU in general inpatient populations range from $2832 to $54,062, [46][47][48]56,57,[59][60][61] and costs of PU in SCI populations range from $18,533 to $104,135.…”

“…[55][56][57] In comparison, costs attributed to presumably more severe UTI in alternative patient populations are generally higher. 2,16,48,[58][59][60][61][62][63][64] The incremental cost of ''clinically significant'' hospital-acquired UTI in complex medical and surgical admissions in Ontario, Canada, for example, is reported to be $23,667. 48 Similarly, in two Australia SCI populations, hospitalacquired UTI reportedly added $24,569 and community-acquired UTI severe enough to result in hospitalization added $16,354 to the average costs of care.…”

“…Average costs of PU in general inpatient populations range from $2832 to $54,062, [46][47][48]56,57,[59][60][61] and costs of PU in SCI populations range from $18,533 to $104,135. 2,16,58,62,64,34,[88][89][90][91][92][93] The range is expected to reflect demographic and geographic differences in the population being studied as well as associated differences in the severity of PU in the study population. The range may also reflect differences in the research or costing methodologies, observation period, products and services used to manage or treat PU, and duration of PU treatment.…”

“…Evidence from SCI populations suggests higher expected cost of PU presenting in the community phase of SCI care compared with the acute phase of SCI care. 64,34 In an Australia SCI population, the average cost of hospitalization because of PU within two years of SCI is estimated to be $25,994. 64 Similarly, the average cost attributed to PU in a population of community-dwelling individuals with SCI in Ontario, Canada, is estimated to be $4797 per month or $57,564 over a conservative seven month recording period.…”

Who is the surgically resilient individual with traumatic spinal cord injury?

“…Motor vehicle accidents and falls accounted for 60% of all causes, while males are three times more likely to acquire SCI than females (10). It is estimated that 40% of individuals are readmitted to hospital within 2 years of injury due to secondary complications (11). Once the post-operative recovery period has passed, the ability to adapt after SCI is important to prevent secondary physical and psychological complications.…”