Disability situation of adults with spinal cord injury In the city of Manizales

Objective: To describe the degree of disability in adult population with spinal cord injury and correlate it with social-demographic, clinical and access features as well as sufficiency and satisfaction with rehabilitation services in the city of Manizales (Colombia). Materials and methods: a descriptive correlational study with forty-five 18 year old people with varied etiology, neurological level and completeness with more than six months evolution was carried out in health and rehabilitation Institutions in Manizales (Colombia) between the second semester 2009 and the first semester 2010. The WHO DAS II and the ASIA Impairment Scale were used. Results: all participants reported some degree of disability. Significant associations were found between the type of general disability and the type of affiliation to the public health system, professional situation, neurological level, zone of partial preservation, sensory and motor ASIA rates, the lesion evolution time, and number of complications. The complications significantly associated with disability were: urinary tract infections, joint pain, autonomic dysreflexia and intestinal problems. As far as the use of rehabilitation services no meaningful relationship was found with any of the variables but meaningful differences were found between the groups that received accessories and vocational, labour, and educational guidance and those that did not receive such guidance. Conclusions: the correlations found between social-demographic, clinical and contextual variables concerning the situation of disabled people with spinal cord injury indicated the need to implement public health interventions aimed at reducing its incidence, prevent associated complications and promote integrated rehabilitation processes that foster social inclusion.