Characterization of Disability in Spinal Cord Trauma Patients Using whodas 2.0

Abstract

Objective: To characterize the functioning profile of patients with sequelae of spinal cord trauma, using whodas 2.0 (World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0), in the municipality of Samacá, Boyacá (Colombia). Methods: cross-sectional study, the whodas 2.0 records were evaluated. Applied by interview to all patients with sequelae of spinal cord trauma who lived in the municipality of Samacá between August and September 2019 and who were registered in the databases of the municipality’s health institutions. Results: the records of twelve patients were analyzed, whose level of injury was mostly thoracic. The degree of global disability was mild in 58.3% of patients and moderate in 41.7%. By domains, disability in mobility and participation was present in 100% of the patients. Other affected domains were activities of daily living, mainly compromising those corresponding work and housework, and the relationship domain in the corresponding to difficulty in sexual activity. Conclusions: the most affected functional domains in patients with spinal cord trauma were mobility and participation. The whodas 2.0 is useful in the assessment of functional profile and facilitates the creation of community-based rehabilitation programs aimed to improve functionality of these patients.