Survival, discharge destination, and referral for rehabilitation after metastatic spinal cord compression surgery

• Published in: Spinal Cord Series and Cases
• Main Authors: Christensen, Jan, Biering-Sørensen, Fin, Morgen, Søren Schmidt, la Cour, Karen
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Nature Publishing Group UK 2021
• Subjects: Article; Faroe Islands; Greenland
• Online Access: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8313531/; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34312376; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41394-021-00428-z

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective review of medical records. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine probability of survival after 90- and 180-days after surgery, to document the rehabilitation needs, patients discharge destination, and whether discharge destination, re-admission, and probability of survival among patients with metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC) were associated with potential risk factors. SETTING: Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet that serves a population of 2.8 million people from the Eastern part of Denmark, Faroe Islands, and Greenland. METHODS: Adult (≥18 years) patients with MSCC undergoing surgery in 2017–2018 were included. Descriptive statistics were used to investigate the probability of survival after 90- and 180-days, rehabilitation needs documented in the patient’s medical record, and discharge destination. Univariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations between a priory defined potential risk factors for mortality and readmission. RESULTS: Seventy-four medical records were included in final analysis. The probability of survival after 90- and 180-days post-surgery were 78% and 57%, respectively. Higher age was the only defined variable that was significantly associated with higher mortality. Ninety-three percent of the patient’s medical records described rehabilitation potential, but only 44.6% of the patients were discharged with a rehabilitation plan. Seventy-three percent of the patients were discharged to their home. None had a specialized rehabilitation plan. CONCLUSION: Almost all patients diagnosed with MSCC have a rehabilitation potential described in their medical records. However, only half of these patients are discharged with a rehabilitation plan indicating an unmet potential for rehabilitation.