Gastrointestinal complications in spinal cord injury.

Fifty-nine patients were identified with 70 gastrointestinal tract complications from a review of 950 spinal cord injury patients admitted during a 10-year period (prevalence 6.2%). When compared to a random spinal-cord-injured noncomplication control group (N = 31 patients), there was no difference in the percentage of low-dose steroids (dexamethasone 40 mg/day) given or in the percentage of patients receiving ulcer prophylaxis. All but two patients in the complication group received ulcer prophylaxis. Although an increase in the percentage of cervical and complete lesions was seen in the bleeding complications group, this increase was not statistically significant. The low complication rate (6.2%) seen in this study probably reflects the global use of ulcer prophylaxis and heightened awareness at a regional spinal cord injury center.