Increasing Survival and Changing Causes of Death in Myelopathy Patients

Survival, mortality rates, and causes of death were determined for 132 myelopathy patients during a 9-year period. The average age was 54; 81% were paralyzed by trauma. Average survival was 15 years. The major causes of death were pulmonary, gastrointestinal and urinary. As survival of myelopathy patients has improved, pneumonia, ischemic heart disease, carcinoma, and renal failure have become the major causes of death.