Number of Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) cases 2018 to 2022 (FOI)

Request

A

I would like the number of Cauda Equina Syndrome cases that have been identified at the Jersey General Hospital Year by year, from 2018 to 2022.

B

Any data held on success rates where patients have recovered from this syndrome.

C

Any data held on how long the patients had been suffering from symptoms of Cauda Equina Syndrome prior to emergency medical intervention, in other words, if the patients were previously seen in Accident and Emergency Department for symptoms of Cauda Equina but discharged from Accident and Emergency Department without having an X-Ray or MRI.

Response

A

The data provided in the table below denotes the number of patients who were admitted to Jersey General Hospital each year between 2018 and 2022 where cauda equina syndrome (CES) was first coded as a documented diagnosis or co-morbidity requiring care, irrespective of the reason for attendance at hospital or main condition treated.

As the Patient Administration System in current use was implemented in 2012, the figures may also include patients who were diagnosed prior to 2012, but who did not have an admission between 2012 and 2018 where this condition was coded as a diagnosis or co-morbid condition requiring treatment.

Please note, Outpatient attendances and attendances to the Accident and Emergency Department that do not result in admission are not subject to Clinical Coding.

Data is derived from reporting by discharge date. As such, patients who were admitted prior to 1 January 2018 but discharged after this date will be included. For the same reason, patients admitted prior to 31 December 2022 but discharged after this date will not be included in the numbers.

Clinical Coding of a patient’s admission is carried out after discharge from hospital. Data is incomplete for the full time period in question, and subsequently, figures may be subject to change as Clinical Coding of admissions continues and completion levels increase.

Where numbers are small, disclosure control has been applied to protect the privacy of individuals and numbers fewer than five are represented as ‘<5’. Article 25 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

Data Source: Hospital Patient Administration System (TrakCare, Report CDG4G)

B

No specific data is held on success rates where patients have recovered from CES. Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

Surgery has been performed on-island for approximately 15 cases of CES (complete and incomplete) in the last 10 years, with fewer than five cases transferred off-island for emergency care of CES in addition to this.

Owing to small numbers, no further breakdown of particular outcomes can be provided, as there is potential for individuals to be identifiable. Article 25 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law has been applied.

The recovery rate for CES is less than 50% with a complete CES, and higher than 50% for incomplete CES. 

Delayed presentation of CES has been associated with poorer functional outcomes.

C

No central record is held for the data requested. Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies. Information for the presenting history of individual patients will be available in the medical record. 

Owing to small numbers, no specific details of disease presentation can be provided, as there is potential for individuals to be identifiable. Article 25 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law has been applied.

When a diagnosis of CES is suspected, this is normally accompanied by ‘red flag’ symptoms and would be escalated by the examining doctor to the specialist team, as appropriate.

Article applied

Article 3 - Meaning of “information held by a public authority”

For the purposes of this Law, information is held by a public authority if –

(a)     it is held by the authority, otherwise than on behalf of another person; or

(b)     it is held by another person on behalf of the authority.

Article 25 - Personal information

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018.

(2) Information is absolutely exempt information if –

(a) it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018; and

(b) its supply to a member of the public would contravene any of the data protection principles, as defined in that Law.