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James L. Babcock, MD

Arch Surg. 1976;111(6):637.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

Spinal cord injury is one of the most devastating accidents that man can incur and still survive. Until relatively recent times, major paralysis from spinal injury was fatal, as these patients invariably died of urinary infection, pulmonary complications, and sepsis from skin necrosis.

Better understanding of the pathophysiology of spinal injury patients, along with the advent of antibiotic therapy, has now made long-term survival not only possible, but, in fact, expected. The development of specialized treatment centers, first in Europe and more recently in the United States, has offered to these patients not only survival but a chance to return to a productive life within the limits of their disability. Nevertheless, of the estimated 5,000 new patients each year with major spinal cord injury, only a few receive the skilled care that is available, and many continue in a dismal existence in chronic care hospital wards or nursing homes. Experience . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Dec 5, 1975.

Reprint requests to Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1100 W Michigan St, Indianapolis, IN 46202 (Dr Babcock).

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