Length of Hospital Stay in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury

This study examines the length of hospital stays for patients with spinal cord injuries in Korea and the factors that might influence these stays. The research found that the average hospital stay for these patients was longer compared to those in other countries. It also revealed that traffic accidents as a cause of injury and the time period when patients were discharged (specifically, in the 2000s) were associated with longer hospital stays. Interestingly, factors such as the severity of the spinal cord injury or the ability to walk did not significantly affect how long patients stayed in the hospital, suggesting that other socio-psychological elements play a more critical role.

• 1
  The mean LOS of domestic patients with SCI was longer than the values reported in foreign studies, with an average of 13.5 months.
• 2
  Patients injured in traffic accidents had significantly longer hospital stays and were admitted to a larger number of hospitals compared to those with other causes of injury.
• 3
  Patients discharged in the 2000s experienced longer hospital stays and were admitted to a greater number of hospitals than those discharged in earlier decades.