Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38351025›Full record

ArticleSpinal cord series and cases2024

COVID-19 and spinal cord injury: clinical presentation, clinical course, and clinical outcomes of people hospitalised.

Inge E Eriks-Hoogland, Michael A Barth, Lorena L Müller, Dominique Braun, Armin Curt, Mohit Arora, James W Middleton, Jürgen Pannek

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Spinal cord series and cases, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 42% 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

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

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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

8 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Inge E Eriks-HooglandSwiss Paraplegic Centre, Nottwil, Switzerland. inge.eriks@paraplegie.ch.ORCID 0000-0001-7388-6656
Michael A BarthSwiss Paraplegic Centre, Nottwil, Switzerland.
Lorena L MüllerSwiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil, Switzerland.
Dominique BraunDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Armin CurtSpinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Mohit AroraJohn Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research, Northern Sydney Local Health District, St Leonards, NSW, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-1024-3682
James W MiddletonJohn Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research, Northern Sydney Local Health District, St Leonards, NSW, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-2777-8619
Jürgen PannekSwiss Paraplegic Centre, Nottwil, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-9910-1295
Swiss Paraplegic Research · CHThe University of Sydney · AUUniversity of Zurich · CHUniversity of Bern · CHUniversity of Lucerne · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

STUDY

designRetrospective study

objectivesTo describe the presenting symptoms/signs, clinical course and outcomes in hospitalised people with spinal cord injury (SCI) and symptomatic COVID-19 infections.

settingOne university hospital and two SCI centres in Switzerland.

methodsDescriptive analysis of symptoms/signs, clinical course and outcomes of people with SCI with symptomatic COVID-19 infections and need for hospitalisation.

resultsTwenty-two people with SCI were included, 15 (68%) were male, median age 64.5 years (interquartile range, IQR, 52-73 years). Nine (41%) had tetraplegia, and eight (36%) were classified with motor-complete lesions. Frequent clinical symptoms were fever (59%), coughing (54%), fatigue (50%), and dyspnoea (27%). Most frequent complications were bacterial pulmonary superinfection (18%), and acute respiratory distress syndrome (18%). Fifteen persons (68%) needed oxygen therapy during the course of hospitalisation, and 7 (32%) people were ventilated. Median length of stay (LOS) was 23 days (IQR 15-35), varying by age for people under 60 years with a median LOS of 9 days (IQR 8-27), and for those older than 60 years with a median of 34 days (IQR 17-39), respectively. In total, 3 persons (14%) died during hospitalisation, all older with paraplegia.

conclusionsTypical symptoms like fever and coughing were not present in all people. People with tetraplegia did not demonstrate worse outcomes, on the contrary, they had shorter LOS, no difference in ventilation needs, and no higher mortality compared to people with paraplegia. Older people showed longer LOS. This study recommends close supervision of the SCI population to detect early signs and symptoms of COVID-19 infection.

Indexed as

COVID-19Spinal Cord InjuriesAgedDisease ProgressionFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedParaplegiaQuadriplegiaRetrospective Studies

Identifiers

PMID38351025
PMCPMC10864293
OpenAlexW4391778847

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.