Mortality in Cervical Spine Injury: A Study in a Tertiary Health Care Center in India

Introduction: Cervical spine injury is a common injury worldwide. When cervical cord is also affected, it is the most devastatinginjuries due to poor recovery and disabling consequences. The management is still in the process of continuous evolution. However,even after so much ongoing research, there is no satisfactory treatment which can give complete restoration of the function.Materials and Methods: The study was carried out as an observational study and had both prospective and retrospectivecomponents. The patient with cervical spine quadriplegia coming to the Department of Orthopedics as well as the bodies of thedeceased with quadriplegia at the Department of Jurisprudence, Sir Sunderlal Hospital, Institute of Medical Sciences, BanarasHindu University, over a period of 2 years from June 2005 to June 2007 were included in the study.Results: A total of 92 patients of traumatic quadriplegia were admitted in orthopedics ward from May 2005 to June 2007. Ofthis, 44 patients expired either during the hospital stay or during follow-up period, a maximum of 6 months. The results arewell depicted in tables.Conclusion: There must be a training of primary health center staffs regarding the role of cervical immobilization duringtransportation to a hospital and also for rapid transportation of a cervical spine injury patient to a respective well-equippedhospital. The trained nursing staffs and a team approach along with well-equipped intensive care unit must be constituted forthe management of traumatic quadriplegia patients.