Biomedical subjects

G G Whiteneck

Publications and source records attributed to G G Whiteneck.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1994

Quality of life following spinal cord injury: knowledge and attitudes of emergency care providers.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To measure emergency care providers' attitudes toward quality of life after spinal cord injury (SCI) and to determine if their perceptions influence the care they provide. DESIGN: A closed-ended questionnaire. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred thirty-three emergency nurses, emergency medicine technicians, emergency medicine residents, and attending physicians at three level I trauma centers were surveyed. Their responses were compared with previously reported quality-of-life ratings of a group of 128 high-level SCI survivors. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: One hundred fifty-three emergency care providers completed the survey (response rate, 63%). Forty-one percent believed that resuscitation efforts after severe SCI are too aggressive, and 28% believed that future quality of life should be a factor in determining the interventions that should be provided. If they sustained severe SCIs themselves, 22% of providers would want nothing done to ensure their survival, and 23% would want pain relief only. Only 18% imagined they would be glad to be alive with a severe SCI, compared with 92% of a true SCI comparison group. Seventeen percent of providers anticipated an average or better quality of life compared with 86% of the actual SCI comparison group. CONCLUSION: The quality of life, self-esteem, and outcomes that emergency health care providers imaging after SCI are considerably more negative than those reported by SCI survivors. Because providers' knowledge and attitudes may affect the care they provide and may influence patients and families struggling with critical treatment decisions, emergency care providers must be aware of outcomes, well-being, and life satisfaction following severe SCI.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1994

Chest tubes, lung entrapment, and failure to wean from the ventilator. Report of three patients with quadriplegia.

The cases of three patients with traumatic quadriplegia who had been treated with chest tubes are described. Each had been injured at a neurologic level that typically allows weaning from the ventilator, yet none was able to clear refractory atelectasis or become ventilator free. Each underwent surgery during which lung adhesions, entrapment, or deformation at the former chest tube site were identified and corrected. Subsequently, each patient cleared his atelectasis and weaned from the ventilator. These cases suggest the importance of ruling out lung deformity in individuals with ventilator-dependent quadriplegia who have had chest tubes and unexpectedly fail to wean.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Long-term spinal cord injury: functional changes over time.

Functional changes were assessed in a group of 279 individuals with long-term spinal cord injuries. All had sustained their initial injuries 20 to 47 years ago and all had received initial and postinjury follow-up care at one of two British spinal cord injury treatment centers. Twenty-two percent reported that the need for physical assistance from others had increased over the years. Most (45%) needed additional help with transfers; others needed more assistance with dressing, mobility, and toileting. When compared to those whose need for help had not increased, significant differences were found by age: as a group, and when separated by level and severity of injury, those needing more help were older, and those with cervical injuries needed help at younger ages than their counterparts with lower level injuries. Those needing more help also had significantly more reports of shoulder pain, fatigue and weakness, weight gain, and postural changes. They used more attendant care, and perceived their quality of life to be lower than those whose level of function had not changed over time.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1992

Mortality, morbidity, and psychosocial outcomes of persons spinal cord injured more than 20 years ago.

Mortality, morbidity, health, functional, and psychosocial outcomes were examined in 834 individuals with long term spinal cord injuries. All were treated at one of two British spinal injury centres: the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital or the Regional Spinal Injuries Centre in Southport; all were 20 or more years post injury. Using life table techniques, median survival time was determined for the overall sample (32 years), and for various subgroups based on level and completeness of injury and age at injury. With the number of renal deaths decreasing over time, the cause of death patterns in the study group as it aged began to approximate those of the general population. Morbidity patterns were found to be associated with age, years post injury, or a combination of these factors, depending upon the particular medical complication examined. A current medical examination of 282 of the survivors revealed significant declines in functional abilities associated with the aging process. Declines with age also were found in measures of handicap and life satisfaction, but three quarters of those interviewed reported generally good health and rated their current quality of life as either good or excellent.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1992

Sexual issues of women with spinal cord injuries.

The need for research addressing problems unique to women with spinal cord injuries is well documented. Consequently, 231 such women, ages 18 to 45, were surveyed. Demographic characteristics and data relating to physician usage, female hygiene, pregnancy, contraception and sexuality were collected. Analysis revealed that 60% of the respondents had post injury amenorrhea; the average time until menses resumption was 5 months. The group's post injury pregnancy rate was one-third its pre injury rate, but women with incomplete paraplegia had significantly more pregnancies than those with complete quadriplegia. Of 47 women who did carry babies to delivery, one-half had vaginal deliveries; 49% used no anesthesia. Problems during pregnancy included autonomic hyperreflexia, decubitus ulcers, urinary tract infections, water retention, bladder and bowel problems, anemia, spotting, fatigue, cardiac irregularity and toxemia. Many of these problems plagued the women during labor and delivery and in the post partum period as well. Sixty-nine percent of the women were satisfied with their post injury sexual experiences, although self confidence, spasticity, and lack of spontaneity were issues. Although satisfied with care received from physicians, many women were not content with the information provided during rehabilitation, and felt a need for more literature, counselling, and peer support.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

Health and psychosocial issues of individuals with incomplete and resolving spinal cord injuries.

Longitudinal data and clinical experience indicate that a greater proportion of spinal cord injuries result in incomplete or resolving neurological lesions. Although it has been reported that persons with incomplete injuries enjoy better functional outcomes, routine contacts with these individuals indicate that many experience problems and complications strikingly similar to those with complete spinal cord injuries. Thus, to document the issues and needs of these individuals, data from Colorado's population-based spinal cord injury surveillance program were analyzed. Of 330 persons registered since January 1, 1986, 121 (37%) were found to be minimally disabled (Frankel class D or E). Review of medical records and follow up documentation for these individuals indicated that although over 75% were ambulatory and virtually all were physically independent, more than 80% did report problems in one or more areas: 21% had orthopedic issues and 17% faced additional spinal surgery; 16% reported neurological deterioration or increased spasticity; 25% had pain problems; and 16% had bladder difficulties. Other issues included bowel problems, blood pressure abnormalities, skin breakdown, sexual difficulties, depression, and unemployability. Implications for rehabilitation are discussed in the light of these and other findings.

Colorado↗

PubMed1992

Quantifying handicap: a new measure of long-term rehabilitation outcomes.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), handicaps exist when individuals are unable to fulfill expected social roles. Although ameliorating handicaps is one of the prime goals of rehabilitation, its effectiveness in this area is poorly measured and has not been documented empirically. Therefore, the Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique (CHART) was designed to quantify the extent of handicap in individuals. Using dimensions of handicap identified and described by the WHO, CHART uses measurable, behavioral terms to compare such individuals with the norms of able-bodied members of society. Test-retest, proxies, and independent raters have established the validity and reliability of CHART. Rasch analysis has verified the CHART scaling and scoring procedures. In addition, an initial application of CHART, with a group of 342 spinal cord injured individuals, is described. Beyond demonstrating the instrument's effectiveness in assessing the extent of handicap or social disadvantage, this application, by documenting rehabilitation outcomes, demonstrates the potential usefulness of CHART for program evaluation.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1991

Impairment, disability, handicap and medical expenses of persons aging with spinal cord injury.

Data from 205 Craig Hospital patients with spinal cord injuries (SCI) were analysed with regard to level of injury, age, length of time since SCI, disability (as measured by the Functional Independence Measure), handicap (as measured by the Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique), and average annual costs for services relating to the SCI. Differences in disability, handicap, and costs of care were analysed by chronological age and length of time since injury. Older individuals showed significant increases in disability and handicap. When chronological age was added to the number of years post-injury, significant increases in disability, handicap, and costs of care were noted at all neurological levels.

Adolescent↗