SURGICAL CLOSURE OF PELVIC PRESSURE INJURIES IN SPINAL CORD INJURED ADULTS: CASE IDENTIFICATION, COSTS, HEALTH CARE UTILIZATION AND RISK FACTORS FOR SURGICAL COMPLICATIONS

Impaired wound healing in SCI patients contributes to the progression in severity of PIs. Best practice guidelines suggest that surgical flap reconstruction is an option for chronic stage 4 PIs that have failed to heal with more conservative measures, but little is known about the epidemiology of surgically reconstructed PIs in SCI patients. Rates of surgical wound complications are high, and cost of management is extensive. Accordingly, this study aims to establish a systematic approach for identifying SCI patients with surgically reconstructed PIs, to facilitate study of predictors of sustained wound closure, quantify costs of surgical reconstruction, and evaluate efficiency of treatment and recovery options. To address gaps in the literature, this study’s objectives were: (1) estimate surgical reconstruction hospital costs for stage 4 PIs in SCI patients and characterize the relationship of demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors to cost at discharge, (2) explore a standardized method of identifying these cases in large databases, (3) identify and validate risk factors for complications at discharge from wound care follow-up, and (4) identify long-term cost and health care utilization of persons with SCI who have undergone surgical flap closure. It proved difficult to identify our own cohort of patients using administrative codes applied, making population-based study using administrative data less than ideal. Factors associated with open incision at three-to-six weeks post-index surgery included number of nursing visits in the previous year, and revision surgery within the six-week follow-up period. The cost of persons with SCI and PI was high one year prior to surgery (look-back) and almost double in the first year look-back. However, significant cost and health care utilization was demonstrated in Year 2 and 3 post-index surgery. Further prospective studies exploring models of health care delivery and addressing some of modifiable risk factors may improve cost-effectiveness and outcomes. Thesis Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Pressure ulcers, also known as pressure injuries (PI) or bedsores, are a common secondary complication in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). While surgical closure is an option offered to patients, little is known about the long-term outcomes, including cost and use of health care services following the surgery. Risk factors for complications following surgery are known from a physical/co-morbidity/technique perspective, but environmental and behavioural factors have not been included these studies, and the use of health care administrative databases to accurately identify these patients for research has not been studied. A historical cohort study was conducted at one tertiary care centre in Toronto, Canada to identify known cases of SCI and PI reconstruction. Hospital codes were recorded in an algorithm used to evaluate the accuracy in identifying the known cases in the database. Health care usage and costs were also recorded, and risk factors for complications were also evaluated.