Time Course and Characteristics of the Nutritional Conditions in Acute Traumatic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury

INTRODUCTION: This retrospective cohort study aimed to examine the nutritional time course and elucidate the critical period of undernutrition following acute traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI). METHODS: The study was performed at a single facility that treated spinal cord injuries. We examined individuals with acute traumatic CSCI admitted to our hospital within 3 days of injury. Both prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and controlling nutritional status (CONUT) scores, which objectively reflect nutritional and immunological conditions, were assessed at admission and 1, 2, and 3 months after the injury. The American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale (AIS) categorizations and severity of dysphagia were evaluated at these time points. RESULTS: A total of 106 patients with CSCI were evaluated consecutively for 3 months after injury. Individuals with AIS categorizations of A, B, or C at 3 days after injury were significantly more undernourished than those with an AIS categorization of D at 3 months after injury, indicating that individuals with mild paresis better maintained their nutritional condition after injury. Nutritional conditions, as assessed by both PNI and CONUT scores, improved significantly between 1 and 2 months after injury, whereas no significant differences were found between admission and 1 month after injury. Nutritional status and dysphagia were significantly correlated at each time point (p<0.001), indicating that swallowing dysfunction is an important factor associated with malnutrition. CONCLUSIONS: Nutritional conditions showed significant gradual improvements from 1 month after the injury. We must pay attention to undernutrition, which is associated with dysphagia, especially in individuals with severe paralysis during the acute phase following injury.