Influence of patient isolation due to colonization with multidrug-resistant organisms on functional recovery after spinal cord injury.

Abstract

Study designChart reviews were combined with neurological and functional outcome data obtained from the prospective European Multicenter Study on Spinal Cord Injury (EMSCI, www.emsci.org).ObjectivesTo determine if strict physical isolation of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO)-positive patients negatively affects neurological recovery and functional outcome in the first year after acute spinal cord injury (SCI).SettingSCI Center Heidelberg University Hospital.MethodsIndividuals with acute (ResultsIsolated MDRO-positive (median duration of hospitalization: 175 days, 39% of inpatient stay under isolation measures) and non-isolated MDRO-negative (median duration of hospitalization: 161 days) patients showed functional and neurological improvements, which were not statistically different between groups at the intermediate and late stage.ConclusionProlonged isolation due to MDRO colonization for over a third of the inpatient comprehensive care period does not appear to impair neurological recovery and functional outcome within the first year after SCI.