Survival in 222 patients with severe cervical spinal cord injuries: an 8-year epidemiological survey in Western China.

•The authors conducted a survival analysis on 222 patients who suffered from severe cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI) in Western China.•Survival rates and mortality risk factors were calculated by the product limit (Kaplan-Meier) method and the Cox model.•In the current study, the results demonstrated that 4 predictors were closely related to mortality: age, higher neurologic level, ventilator dependence, and treatment options. Timing to surgery is the main risk factor for mortality in patients with CSCIs.•Better understanding of the predictors could possibly contribute to the improvement of survival rates.