Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36515049›Full record

ArticleCanadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien2022

Prescribing for common complications of spinal cord injury.

Mary Ann McColl, Shikha Gupta, Alexander McColl, Karen Smith

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 24% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Global under- and overprescribing of drugs-a scoping review.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Health care crisis in Canada: What is the matter?Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien · 2022
    Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 3 countries.

Mary Ann McCollProfessor in the Department of Public Health Sciences and the School of Rehabilitation Therapy at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont. mccollm@queensu.ca.
Shikha GuptaResearch Coordinator in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy at Queen's University.
Alexander McCollAssociate Professor and retired Head of Port Macquarie Rural Medical School, University of New South Wales, Australia.
Karen SmithProfessor Emerita in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen's University.
Queen's University · CAMacquarie University · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo describe prescribing patterns for 3 common complications associated with spinal cord injury (SCI) and to provide family doctors with strategies for optimizing the care of patients with SCI. SOURCES OF INFORMATION: Results of a nationwide survey of prescription medication use among people with SCI in Canada and a longitudinal study of secondary complications associated with SCI. MAIN MESSAGE: Altered neurologic and cardiometabolic function in patients with SCI make it difficult for family physicians to predict optimal medication regimens for these patients. Three common problems seen in primary care among patients with SCI that require pharmacologic treatment are pain (treated in 57% of survey respondents), muscle spasms (54%), and recurrent urinary tract infections (43%). Pain management may require multiple medications, depending on the source or nature of the pain. Some prescription medications recommended for treating pain may be underused in this population, such as amitriptyline, while others may be overused in this population, such as antibiotics for urinary tract infections. Spasticity is often related to an underlying problem such as pain, and treatment of concomitant conditions may also reduce spasticity. Short-acting benzodiazepines were found to have been prescribed for spasticity outside the recommended treatment paradigm at a surprisingly high rate. The longitudinal study of secondary complications associated with SCI led to the development of Actionable Nuggets, an innovative knowledge translation tool for primary care providers.

conclusionTo provide optimal treatment to patients with SCI, family doctors are encouraged to engage in open communication with them about prescription medications, including aspects of cost, polypharmacy, and therapeutic substitutions. Family physicians should also explore interprofessional collaboration with SCI specialists and allied health providers to provide patients with nonpharmacologic strategies tailored to their activity levels and nutritional needs. The Actionable Nuggets mobile app provides family doctors with brief, actionable, evidence-based information on the top 20 health concerns associated with SCI.

Indexed as

Spinal Cord InjuriesHumansLongitudinal StudiesMuscle SpasticityPainPolypharmacyPractice Patterns, Physicians'

Identifiers

PMID36515049
PMCPMC9796975
OpenAlexW4311481177

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.