Traumatic Spinal Injuries in Saudi Arabia: A Retrospective Single-center Medical Record Review

Introduction: The aim of this retrospective medical record review was to describe the patterns and outcomes of traumatic spinal injuries (TSIs) in a tertiary care trauma center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methodology: Data of all patients who presented at a setting level-1 trauma center with any type of spinal trauma between February 1, 2016 and December 31, 2018 were review. The data obtained included age, gender, nationality (as Saudi and non-Saudi), date of presentation, site of fracture/injury, associated injuries, mechanism of injury, presence of neurological involvement, and hospital mortality. The main outcome of the review was frequencies of different types of TSI across various subgroups. Result: We identified 692 patients who presented with TSI during the study period. The mean age was 36.9 years. Males represented 83.2% (n = 576) of the sample size, and the most common mechanism of injury was motor vehicle collision (MVC), accounting for 66.8% of the cases (n = 462), while fall-related injuries were seen in 31.6% of the cases (n = 219). A total of 454 (65.6%) of all patients were Saudi, and 332 (73.1%) of the TSIs in Saudis were due to MVC. Non-Saudi cases accounted for 238 (34.4%) of all patients, and 89 (37.4%) of the non-Saudi injuries were due to falls from height, this association was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Conclusion: TSI was not thoroughly examined in Saudi Arabia; therefore, this study is considered the first to be done in the Kingdom using a representative sample. The fact that non-Saudi patients had a higher proportion of falls as a mechanism of injury should be taken into consideration in terms of raising awareness and taking more safety precautions, as most construction workers tend to be expatriates.

The Surgical Treatment of Pressure Ulcers in the Patient with Spinal Injuries

No abstract available.

Face Gesture Controlled, Computer Vision Based, Robotic Intelligent Device for People with Spinal Injuries, Cerebral Palsy, Amputation, and Muscular Dystrophy

The goal of my project is to create a computer vision and AI based system that can interpret the face gestures in an intelligent and meaningful way, helping people with disabilities to do two way written and verbal communication. This system should also use face gestures to control the precise navigation of wheelchairs and other guided robotic devices, which will help their movement. Also, this system should be able to interpret and convert facial gestures into commands which can control home and office gadgets that will help them control the environment around them, such as lighting (on/off), temperature, and sound.

Brainwave Controlled, Robotic Intelligent Assistive Device for People with Spinal Injuries, Cerebral Palsy, Amputation, and Muscular Dystrophy

People with spinal injuries, cerebral palsy, amputation, muscular dystrophy, etc. have little to no control of their hands or feet, and many times they cannot even speak to express their thoughts. Individuals with such impairments encounter extreme physical, social, and environmental challenges in their daily lives, which, in turn, create impediments to self-supported living and to opportunities to take part in economic and social aspects of life. To help these people, there is a need of a neuro bio signal-controlled, machine learning based system that can interpret their thoughts in a meaningful way, helping people with disabilities conduct daily activities, enabling them to improve their quality of life and live independently.

Association of venous thromboembolism following pediatric traumatic spinal injuries with injury severity and longer hospital stays

OBJECTIVE Venous thromboembolism (VTE) can cause significant morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients, and may disproportionately occur in patients with limited mobility following spinal trauma. The authors aimed to characterize the epidemiology and clinical predictors of VTE in pediatric patients following traumatic spinal injuries (TSIs). METHODS The authors conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of children who experienced TSI, including spinal fractures and spinal cord injuries, encoded within the National Trauma Data Bank from 2011 to 2014. RESULTS Of the 22,752 pediatric patients with TSI, 192 (0.8%) experienced VTE during initial hospitalization. Proportionally, more patients in the VTE group (77%) than in the non-VTE group (68%) presented following a motor vehicle accident. Patients developing VTE had greater odds of presenting with moderate (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4–4.8) or severe Glasgow Coma Scale scores (aOR 4.3, 95% CI 3.0–6.1), epidural hematoma (aOR 2.8, 95% CI 1.4–5.7), and concomitant abdominal (aOR 2.4, 95% CI 1.8–3.3) and/or lower extremity (aOR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1–2.0) injuries. They also had greater odds of being obese (aOR 2.9, 95% CI 1.6–5.5). Neither cervical, thoracic, nor lumbar spine injuries were significantly associated with VTE. However, involvement of more than one spinal level was predictive of VTE (aOR 1.3, 95% CI 1.0–1.7). Spinal cord injury at any level was also significantly associated with developing VTE (aOR 2.5, 95% CI 1.8–3.5). Patients with VTE stayed in the hospital an adjusted average of 19 days longer than non-VTE patients. They also had greater odds of discharge to a rehabilitative facility or home with rehabilitative services (aOR 2.6, 95% CI 1.8–3.6). CONCLUSIONS VTE occurs in a low percentage of hospitalized pediatric patients with TSI. Injury severity is broadly associated with increased odds of developing VTE; specific risk factors include concomitant injuries such as cranial epidural hematoma, spinal cord injury, and lower extremity injury. Patients with VTE also require hospital-based and rehabilitative care at greater rates than other patients with TSI.