Patient safety in the rehabilitation of the adult with a spinal cord injury.

There are approximately 12,000 new cases of traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) annually. In 2010, there were approximately 265,000 individuals living with SCI. Over time, the average age of people with SCI has steadily risen, and it is now 40.7 years. There are multiple medical complications that are commonly seen in individuals with SCI. These include, but are not exclusively limited to, pneumonia, decubiti ulcers, undiagnosed fractures, urinary tract infections, autonomic dysreflexia, deep venous thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism. This article addresses the issue of patient safety in the care of adults living with an SCI.