School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
S Afr Med J. 2010 Mar 30;100(4):230-4. doi: 10.7196/samj.4061.
To address an apparent increase in the number of rugby-related spinal cord injuries (SCIs) in South Africa, a retrospective case-series study was conducted on injuries that occurred between 1980 and 2007. We aimed to identify preventable causes to reduce the overall rate of SCIs in South African rugby.
We identified 264 rugby-related SCIs. A structured questionnaire was used, and it was possible to obtain information on a total of 183 players, including 30 who had died.
SCIs increased in number in the 1980s and in 2006. Forwards sustained 76% of all SCIs, and club players 60%. Players aged 17 had the highest number of SCIs. In only 50% of cases were medical personnel present at the time of injury, and 49% of injured players waited longer than 6 hours for acute management. Of players with an SCI, 61% had a catastrophic outcome after 12 months, including 8% who died during that time; 65% received no financial compensation; and only 29% of players had medical aid or health insurance.
A register of all rugby-related SCIs in South Africa is essential to monitor the magnitude of the problem, identify potential risk factors, and formulate appropriate preventive interventions. The lack of reliable denominator data limits calculation of incident rates. Players from previously disadvantaged communities in particular suffered the consequences of limited public health care resources and no financial compensation.
为了解决南非橄榄球相关脊髓损伤（SCI）数量明显增加的问题，对 1980 年至 2007 年发生的损伤进行了回顾性病例系列研究。我们旨在确定可预防的原因，以降低南非橄榄球 SCI 的总体发生率。
我们确定了 264 例与橄榄球相关的 SCI。使用了结构化问卷，共获得了 183 名球员的信息，其中包括 30 名已死亡的球员。
1980 年代和 2006 年 SCI 的数量有所增加。前锋遭受了所有 SCI 的 76%，俱乐部球员占 60%。17 岁的球员 SCI 发生率最高。只有 50%的情况下有医务人员在场，49%的受伤球员等待急性治疗的时间超过 6 小时。在患有 SCI 的球员中，61%在 12 个月后出现灾难性结局，包括在此期间死亡的 8%；65%的球员未获得经济赔偿；只有 29%的球员有医疗补助或健康保险。
南非所有橄榄球相关 SCI 的登记册对于监测问题的严重程度、确定潜在的危险因素以及制定适当的预防干预措施至关重要。缺乏可靠的分母数据限制了发病率的计算。来自以前处于不利地位的社区的球员尤其受到公共卫生保健资源有限和无经济赔偿的影响。
