Traumatic spinal cord injury mortality, 1981-1998.

BACKGROUND We aim to assess the long-term trend of and identify risk factors for traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) mortality from 1981 through 1998 in the state of South Carolina (SC). METHODS We analyzed data from the TSCI surveillance system in SC. Poisson regression analyses were used to examine trends in TSCI mortality rates across subpopulations of interest. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for TSCI mortality. RESULTS The rate of TSCI mortality was 27.4 per million population between 1981 and 1998. A significant 3% annual decrease in the TSCI mortality rate was found from 1981 through 1998. Specifically, TSCI mortality rates declined the most per year in motor vehicle crashes, males, and whites. Adjusted for covariates, individuals of older ages, black race, with a cervical TSCI, and with a more severe injury, as defined by both Frankel grade and Abbreviated Injury Scale, were associated with higher odds of in-hospital mortality. Females had lower odds of in-hospital mortality than males. CONCLUSION Although mortality rate is decreasing, TSCI remains a significant public health problem, with SC having higher rates of TSCI mortality than the United States. The association between gender and in-hospital mortality needs further exploration.