Table 4 Presence and frequency of the individual Red Flags among records screened (N = 498)
Red Flags | Yes N [%] | No N [%] | UnD N [%] | NR N [%] | NA N [%] | Xray N = 15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age ≥ 50 | 218 [43.8] | 280 [56.2] | 0 [0] | 0 [0] | 0 [0.0] | 13 |
Pain at rest | 78 [15.7] | 113 [22.7] | 43 [8.6] | 263 [53.0] | 0 [0.0] | 8 |
Considerable pain (NRS ≥ 8) with minor trauma | 45 [9.0] | 346 [69.5] | 1 [0.2] | 106 [21.3] | 0 [0.0] | 4 |
Diabetic | 45 [9.0] | 441 [88.6] | 1 [0.2] | 11 [2.2] | 0 [0.0] | 3 |
Acute or blunt trauma | 25 [5.0] | 417 [83.8] | 1 [0.2] | 55 [11.0] | 0 [0.0] | 1 |
Hx of cancer (< 15 years) | 23 [4.6] | 448 [90.0] | 1 [0.2] | 26 [5.2] | 0 [0.0] | 2 |
Immunosuppressed due to condition | 22 [4.4] | 452 [91.0] | 8 [1.6] | 16 [3.2] | 0 [0.0] | 1 |
Improvement with activity, worse with rest | 18 [3.6] | 112 [22.5] | 282 [56.6] | 86 [17.3] | 0 [0.0] | 4 |
Known osteopenia or osteoporosis | 16 [3.2] | 0 [0.0] | 0 [0] | 482 [96.8] | 0 [0.0] | 2 |
Steroid use (> 7.5 mg/d, > 3 mo.) | 14 [2.8] | 456 [91.6] | 5 [1.0] | 23 [4.6] | 0 [0.0] | 0 |
No resp to tx or worse symptoms > 4 weeks | 10 [2.0] | 259 [52.0] | 0 [0.0] | 2 [0.4] | 227 [45.6] | 3 |
Hx of spine surgery | 10 [2.0] | 430 [86.4] | 16 [3.2] | 42 [8.4] | 0 [0.0] | 0 |
Morning stiffness > 30 min | 8 [1.6] | 53 [10.6] | 40 [8] | 396 [79.7] | 0 [0.0] | 0 |
Embedded Foreign Object | 3 [0.6] | 2 [0.4] | 0 [0.0] | 494 [99.2] | 0 [0.0] | 0 |
IV drug abuse | 3 [0.6] | 228 [45.8] | 3 [0.6] | 264 [53.0] | 0 [0.0] | 0 |
Progressive neurological deficit > 4 weeks | 3 [0.6] | 264 [53.0] | 1 [0.2] | 3 [0.6] | 227 [45.6] | 1 |
Significant activity limit > 4 weeks | 3 [0.6] | 262 [52.6] | 0 [0.0] | 2 [0.4] | 231 [46.4] | 1 |
Awake 2nd half night due to pain | 2 [0.4] | 170 [34.1] | 63 [12.7] | 263 [52.8] | 0 [0.0] | 0 |
Fever (> 103°F/ > 38.3 °C) for 3 weeks | 2 [0.4] | 103 [20.7] | 5 [1.0] | 388 [77.9] | 0 [0.0] | 1 |
Progressive or painful spinal curvature | 2 [0.4] | 10 [2.0] | 2 [0.4] | 484 [97.2] | 0 [0.0] | 0 |
Unexplained weight loss (> 4.5 kg < 6 mo.) | 1 [0.2] | 88 [17.7] | 2 [0.4] | 407 [81.3] | 0 [0.0] | 1 |