Increasing survival and changing causes of death in myelopathy patients.

Survival, mortality rates, and causes of death were determined for 132 myelopathy patients during the 9-year period between April 1973 and March 1982. The average age was 54; 81% were paralyzed by trauma. Average survival was 15 years. Myelopathy mortality was eight times that of the general population for the third decade of life but comparable by the seventh decade. The major causes of death were pulmonary (41 patients- 71% with pneumonia or bronchitis), vascular (37 patients - 54% with ischemic heart disease), gastrointestinal (19 patients - 42% with carcinoma, 32% with peritonitis), and urinary (16 patients - 50% with renal failure and 44% with carcinoma). As survival of myelopathy patients has improved, deaths due to pneumonia, ischemic heart disease, carcinoma, and renal failure have become the major causes of death.