Predictive Factors Affecting the Need for Mechanical Ventilation in Acute Traumatic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury

Acute traumatic cervical spinal cord injuries (TCSCI) are associated with significant mortality and morbidity, particularly when complicated by neurogenic respiratory failure. While upper cervical-level injuries are established risk factors for mechanical ventilation, patients with acute injuries below the fifth cervical level without significant chest trauma may also require ventilatory support. However, reliable early predictors remain unclear. This study aims to identify the primary predictors of early mechanical ventilation needs in patients with acute TCSCI. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 148 cases of TCSCI treated between 2019 and 2022. Among these, 27 cases (18.24%) required ventilatory support. Multivariate analysis revealed that a compression grade of 2 or higher, exceeding 25% on Computed Tomography (CT) (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 10.18; 95% CI: 2.03-50.94; p < 0.001), and a cord contusion length spanning at least two levels on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) (aOR: 2.11; 95% CI: 1.06-4.22; p = 0.03) were significant independent predictors. CT-based spinal cord compression measurements showed a strong correlation with MRI findings (linear regression coefficient = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.80-0.96; Spearman's rho = 0.90; both p < 0.001). The regression line was closely aligned with the equality line, indicating CT can reliably approximate MRI. Noninferiority testing revealed no significant difference in predicting mechanical ventilation risk between modalities (p = 0.21). Survival analyses stratified by compression grades demonstrated similar predictive performance, with higher compression grades (2-4) associated with increased risk of ventilation over time. These findings suggest that the degree of cord compression and cord contusion length are reliable, noninvasive predictors of the need for mechanical ventilation in TCSCI, emphasizing the importance of early recognition, cost-effective health care management, and prognostic counseling. The Subaxial Injury Classification and Severity Scale demonstrated borderline significance (sensitivity 81.5%, specificity 87.6%). The study found that patients with >25% cervical spinal cord compression had significantly poorer outcomes compared to those with ≤25% compression, including longer hospital stays, lower survival rates, worse pre-treatment neurological status, and higher complication rates. Surgical treatment, particularly the posterior approach, was more common in the >25% compression group; however, post-treatment neurological improvement was observed only in cases of grade 2 degree compression, not grades 3 and 4 in CT and MRI. In contrast, the ≤25% compression group demonstrated better outcomes, with greater post-treatment improvement. [Figure: see text].