@article{ref1,
title="Direct health care costs after traumatic spinal cord injury",
journal="Journal of trauma",
year="2005",
author="Dryden, D. M. and Saunders, L. Duncan and Rowe, Brian H. and Schopflocher, Donald P. and Voaklander, Donald C. and Svenson, Lawrence Walter and Yiannakoulias, Nikolaos and May, Laura A. and Jacobs, Patricia",
volume="59",
number="2",
pages="443-449",
abstract="BACKGROUND: The objective was to quantify direct health care costs attributable to traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS: This population-based cohort study followed individuals with SCI from date of injury to 6 years postinjury. SCI cases were matched to a comparison group randomly selected from the general population. Administrative data from a Canadian province with a universal publicly funded health care system and centralized health databases were used. Costs included hospitalizations, physician services, home care, and long-term care. RESULTS: Attributable costs in the first year were $121,600 (2002 $CDN) per person with a complete SCI, and $42,100 per person with an incomplete injury. In the subsequent 5 years, annual costs were $5,400 and $2,800 for persons with complete and incomplete SCIs, respectively. CONCLUSION: Direct costs in the first year after SCI are substantial. In the subsequent 5 years, individuals with SCI will continue to accrue greater costs than the general public.",
language="",
issn="0022-5282",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}