Posts from ‘Friday's Facts’
Friday’s Fact
Why are respiratory infections so common in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients? We’ve mentioned the prevalence before, but want to share some data we recently found…
There are some significant differences between post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a traumatic brain injury (TBI), but those differences are often eclipsed by the similarities. With all of the discussion regarding Iraq soldiers who are returning with cognitive problems, it’s not hard to mix them up…
One of the most common complications post SCI:
Kidney failure, according to SpinalInjury.net, used to be the leading cause of death for individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Today with the improved bladder management methods, there are fewer and less severe kidney complications to be dealt with. More common these days are difficulties arising from urinary tract related issues.
The loss of normal bladder function after a SCI places a patient at an increased risk for contracting a urinary tract infection (UTI), regardless of the type of bladder management used. A UTI can occur in the bladder, the kidney, or other parts of the urinary tract. Urinary tract infection remains the most common secondary medical complication following a SCI and it is also one of the costliest.
# Fever
# Chills
# Leakage
# Increased spasms of legs, abdomen, or bladder
# Feeling the need to catheterize more often (frequency) ( Intermittent)
# Feeling the need to catheterize immediately (urgency) ( Intermittent)
# Burning of the urethra, penis, or pubic area
# Nausea
# Headache
# Mild low back pain or other aches
# Feeling “lousy” or tired
If you experience any of these, please be sure to talk with your doctor to avoid further complications.
This week’s fact (or rather, facts) comes from the Care Cure Community’s Dr. Wise Young in response to the spinal cord injury question, “What can I do now to be ready for the cure?”…
Did you know that motor vehicle accidents are the number one cause of spinal cord injuries in kids? Not surprising, an estimated 70 percent of these injuries happened to children who were not wearing seat belts…
Physical activity can benefit paralysis…truly! With a combination of electrical stimulation, breathing exercises and aquatherapy, Christopher Reeve was able to regain a degree of motion…
We’ve mentioned brain plasticity in a couple of our post regarding brain injury and brain repair, so this post is going to delve into exactly what this term means and why it’s so important…
With the increasing number of research programs focusing on stem cell research and their application to brain injury and spinal cord injury, today’s facts will help you understand why they are so useful…
Some Important TBI Incidence Statistics:
- TBI occurrence is strongest in the following age groups: Five years and younger, between 15 and 24 years and over 70 years old.
- The death rate is 30 per 100,000, with 50 percent of those dying within the first two hours after their injury.
- It is estimated that 50,000 people die every year in the U.S. from TBI.
- Lasting problems from TBI are estimated to affect 70,000 people.
- Three quarters of those injured are male.
- Thirty percent had a history of alcohol abuse.
- The majority of injuries were received in motor vehicle crashes, some 50 to 70 percent.
Statistics thanks to the Centre for Neuro Skills.
