Peripheral Nerve and Spinal Cord

Question 1

Classification of Spinal Cord Injury

Answer 1

Classified by mechanism of

• • Injury
• • Skeletal level of injury
• • Neurological level of injury
• • Completeness or degree of injury

Question 2

Immediate SC postinjury problems include

Answer 2

• maintaining a patent airway.
• adequate ventilation.
• adequate circulating blood volume.
• preventing extension of cord damage (secondary injury).

Question 3

SC Symptoms

Answer 3

Resp

• Client cannot cough effectively.
• cause paralysis of ]abdominal muscles/intercostal muscles.
• atelectasis or pneumonia
• Pulmonary edema

Cardiovascular

• bradycardia
• peripheral vasodilation results in hypotension.
• hypovolemia

Gastrointestinal

• is above T5, primary GI problems are related to hypomotility
• paralytic ileus.
• gastric distension.

Urinary
- Urinary retention

Integumentary

• skin breakdown
• Pressure ulcers

Thermoregulation

• Poikilothermism
• decreased ability to sweat.
• decreased ability to shiver.

Metabolic

• metabolic alkalosis
• acidosis
• Loss of body weight

Peripheral Vascular

• Deep vein thrombosis
• Pulmonary embolism

Question 4

SC Collaborative Care

Answer 4

• Test muscle groups with and against gravity, alone and against resistance, and on both sides of the body.
• Focused on stabilization of injured spinal segment and decompression

Question 5

SC Access

Answer 5

• General: poikilothermism
• Integumentary: neurogenic shock
• Respiratory: lesions at C1-C3, C4 and C5-T6
• Cardiovascular: lesions above T5
• GI: decreased or absent bowel sounds
• Urinary: retention, flaccid bladder
• Reproductive: priapism, loss of sexual function
• Neurological: Complete, incomplete
• Musculo-skeletal: atony, contractures