Gunshot versus nongunshot spinal cord injury - Acute care and rehabilitation outcomes

Objective: To examine the impact of gunshot-caused spinal cord injury on ac ute and rehabilitative care outcome using a case control design. Design: Two groups (i.e., gunshot- vs. nongunshot-caused spinal cord injury ) of 212 individuals were matched case-for-case on age (i.e., within 10 yr) , education, gender, race, marital status, primary occupation, impairment l evel, and Model System region. Outcome measures included length of hospital stay, functional status (FIM (TM)), treatment charges, and home discharge rates. Results: The two groups did not differ in the length of stay during acute a nd rehabilitative care, charges during rehabilitative care, or postrehabili tation discharge placement. Several significant between-group differences i n treatment procedures were noted (e.g., prevalence of spinal surgery), whi ch may, in part, account for the higher acute-care charges among those pers ons with nongunshot-caused spinal cord injury. Conclusion: Once an individual is stabilized and admitted for rehabilitativ e care, gunshot etiology of spinal cord injury seems largely unrelated to t he initial rehabilitation outcome.