So Eyun Park1, Stacy Elliott2,3,4,5,6, Vanessa K Noonan1,7, Nancy P Thorogood1, Nader Fallah1,8, Allan Aludino7,9, Marcel F Dvorak7,9. 1. a Rick Hansen Institute , Vancouver , BC , Canada. 2. b Department of Psychiatry , University of British Columbia , Vancouver , BC , Canada. 3. c Urologic Sciences , University of British Columbia , Vancouver , BC , Canada. 4. d International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD) , University of British Columbia , Vancouver , BC , Canada. 5. e Vancouver Sperm Retrieval Clinic, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority , Vancouver , BC , Canada. 6. f G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Center , Sexual Health Rehabilitation Service , Vancouver , BC , Canada. 7. g Division of Spine, Department of Orthopaedics , University of British Columbia , Vancouver , BC , Canada. 8. h Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine , University of British Columbia , Vancouver , BC , Canada. 9. i Vancouver Spine Surgery Institute , Vancouver General Hospital , Vancouver , BC , Canada.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The disruption of autonomic function following a spinal cord injury (SCI) is common and can negatively affect quality of life. The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence of bladder/bowel incontinence and sexual dysfunction in community-dwelling individuals with a thoracolumbar SCI and examine the impact on general physical and mental health status. METHODS: Participants who sustained a traumatic SCI to the thoracolumbar region of the spinal cord and classified as American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) A to D were recruited. Demographic, injury data, MRI classification and neurological data were collected on admission. At follow-up, the neurological data, a questionnaire collecting participant-reported secondary health conditions (SHCs) (e.g. bladder incontinence, depression etc.) following SCI and health status measured by Short Form-36 were obtained. Regression models determined the association of health status with demographic/injury-related data, types and number of SHCs. RESULTS: Of the 51 participants, 58.8% reported bladder incontinence, 54.0% bowel incontinence, 60.8% sexual dysfunction and 29.4% had all three. The regression models demonstrated that age at injury, bowel incontinence, sexual dysfunction, presence of pain, motor score at follow-up and the number of SHCs were significant predictors of health status. The number of SHCs was more predictive than all other demographic and injury variables for health status. CONCLUSION: Results highlight the high prevalence of self-reported bowel/bladder incontinence and sexual dysfunction in the traumatic thoracolumbar SCI population and support the need for standardized assessments. Several demographic, injury-related and SHCs impacted health status and should be considered for the management of individuals living in the community.
OBJECTIVE: The disruption of autonomic function following a spinal cord injury (SCI) is common and can negatively affect quality of life. The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence of bladder/bowel incontinence and sexual dysfunction in community-dwelling individuals with a thoracolumbar SCI and examine the impact on general physical and mental health status. METHODS:Participants who sustained a traumatic SCI to the thoracolumbar region of the spinal cord and classified as American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) A to D were recruited. Demographic, injury data, MRI classification and neurological data were collected on admission. At follow-up, the neurological data, a questionnaire collecting participant-reported secondary health conditions (SHCs) (e.g. bladder incontinence, depression etc.) following SCI and health status measured by Short Form-36 were obtained. Regression models determined the association of health status with demographic/injury-related data, types and number of SHCs. RESULTS: Of the 51 participants, 58.8% reported bladder incontinence, 54.0% bowel incontinence, 60.8% sexual dysfunction and 29.4% had all three. The regression models demonstrated that age at injury, bowel incontinence, sexual dysfunction, presence of pain, motor score at follow-up and the number of SHCs were significant predictors of health status. The number of SHCs was more predictive than all other demographic and injury variables for health status. CONCLUSION: Results highlight the high prevalence of self-reported bowel/bladder incontinence and sexual dysfunction in the traumatic thoracolumbar SCI population and support the need for standardized assessments. Several demographic, injury-related and SHCs impacted health status and should be considered for the management of individuals living in the community.
Entities:
Keywords:
Fecal incontinence; Quality of Life; Sexual dysfunction; Spinal cord injuries; Urinary incontinence
Authors: Lynne Moore; André Lavoie; Natalie Le Sage; Eric Bergeron; Marcel Emond; Moishe Liberman; Belkacem Abdous Journal: Ann Emerg Med Date: 2008-02-20 Impact factor: 5.721
Authors: Dennis Bourbeau; Abby Bolon; Graham Creasey; Wei Dai; Bill Fertig; Jennifer French; Tara Jeji; Anita Kaiser; Roman Kouznetsov; Alexander Rabchevsky; Bruno Gallo Santacruz; Jiayang Sun; Karl B Thor; Tracey Wheeler; Jane Wierbicky Journal: Spinal Cord Date: 2020-09-07 Impact factor: 2.772