Max
05-07-2003, 12:41 PM
Spinal unit deals with new trend
08 May 2003
By SALLY BROWN
Medical conditions such as spinal tumours rather than accidents are responsible for a growing number of patients being admitted to Auckland's Spinal Rehabilitation Unit in Otara.
Unit service manager Tina McCafferty says that until recently, up to 80 per cent of patients were injured in sports, car and other accidents. The average patient age was about 25, and two-thirds were male.
But from 2001, Ms McCafferty says there has been a "steady increase" in medical-related spinal cord cases such as spinal abscesses and tumours.
Spinal Rehabilitation Unit figures show that from July 2001 to June 2002, the unit had 80 referrals.
Of these, 52 had spinal cord damage because of an accident but 28 had medical conditions. The average age of patients was 47.
From July 2002 until the end of April 2003, there were 73 referrals, 39 of which were admitted due to accidents and 34 because of medical conditions.
This year, 47 per cent of patients were admitted with medical conditions, compared with 35 per cent of patients in 2001.
"Because of these statistics, there has been a significant increase in the average age of our patients and a lot more female patients are being admitted to our unit," Ms McCafferty says.
The Auckland Spinal Rehabilitation Unit is a regional service which cares for people with spinal cord injuries from the central North Island to the Far North.
The Bairds Rd unit takes up to 20 patients at one time, their stay varying from six weeks to six months, depending on the seriousness of the injury.
At the Burwood Spinal Injuries Unit in Christchurch most patients continue to be admitted because of accident-related spinal cord injuries rather than medical conditions.
"This trend is unique to our unit," Ms McCafferty says.
"Many of our medical patients come from south Auckland, where there is a high rate of health problems in relation to overcrowding, housing issues and lack of regular primary care.
"In a very general sense, we think our medical patient increase may be connected to education and population problems within this area."
She says the steady increase of patients with medical problems has changed the unit's focus and staff are now looking at rehabilitation in a new way.
"We apply tough love therapy to many of our patients, but with older patients, we obviously have to re-evaluate their treatment and consider what type of therapy is suitable for the stage of life they are at," Ms McCafferty says.
"We always focus on getting our patients better but with some of our older medical patients, their standard of life won't get much better. It may, unfortunately, only get worse."
She says unit staff have been used to having lots of younger people together, who are all at similar stages in life. They now have to consider the issues which arise when people of a wide range of ages share the space and facilities.
"We have to ensure that they are coping without having so many of their peers nearby," Ms McCafferty says.
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08 May 2003
By SALLY BROWN
Medical conditions such as spinal tumours rather than accidents are responsible for a growing number of patients being admitted to Auckland's Spinal Rehabilitation Unit in Otara.
Unit service manager Tina McCafferty says that until recently, up to 80 per cent of patients were injured in sports, car and other accidents. The average patient age was about 25, and two-thirds were male.
But from 2001, Ms McCafferty says there has been a "steady increase" in medical-related spinal cord cases such as spinal abscesses and tumours.
Spinal Rehabilitation Unit figures show that from July 2001 to June 2002, the unit had 80 referrals.
Of these, 52 had spinal cord damage because of an accident but 28 had medical conditions. The average age of patients was 47.
From July 2002 until the end of April 2003, there were 73 referrals, 39 of which were admitted due to accidents and 34 because of medical conditions.
This year, 47 per cent of patients were admitted with medical conditions, compared with 35 per cent of patients in 2001.
"Because of these statistics, there has been a significant increase in the average age of our patients and a lot more female patients are being admitted to our unit," Ms McCafferty says.
The Auckland Spinal Rehabilitation Unit is a regional service which cares for people with spinal cord injuries from the central North Island to the Far North.
The Bairds Rd unit takes up to 20 patients at one time, their stay varying from six weeks to six months, depending on the seriousness of the injury.
At the Burwood Spinal Injuries Unit in Christchurch most patients continue to be admitted because of accident-related spinal cord injuries rather than medical conditions.
"This trend is unique to our unit," Ms McCafferty says.
"Many of our medical patients come from south Auckland, where there is a high rate of health problems in relation to overcrowding, housing issues and lack of regular primary care.
"In a very general sense, we think our medical patient increase may be connected to education and population problems within this area."
She says the steady increase of patients with medical problems has changed the unit's focus and staff are now looking at rehabilitation in a new way.
"We apply tough love therapy to many of our patients, but with older patients, we obviously have to re-evaluate their treatment and consider what type of therapy is suitable for the stage of life they are at," Ms McCafferty says.
"We always focus on getting our patients better but with some of our older medical patients, their standard of life won't get much better. It may, unfortunately, only get worse."
She says unit staff have been used to having lots of younger people together, who are all at similar stages in life. They now have to consider the issues which arise when people of a wide range of ages share the space and facilities.
"We have to ensure that they are coping without having so many of their peers nearby," Ms McCafferty says.
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»SUBSCRIBE TO FREE HEADLINES
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http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2457053a7144,00.html