Trauma Flashcards
What are stem cells?
have the potential to develop into every type of cell in the body
Current stem cell research
examining the use of stem cells that could possibly be used to replace the neurons and glial cells that die after spinal cord injury.
Adult stem cells
multipotent, with a more limited capacity to differentiate into specific cell types
- Blood stem cells only make all specialized blood cells (WBC, RBC, etc), bone stem cell only make all specialized bone cells (osteoclasts, osteoblasts, etc)
Embryonic stem cells
pluripotent, meaning they have the potential to develop into any type of cell in the body, making them highly versatile for regenerative medicine
What are induced pluripotent stem cells?
adult cells that have been genetically manipulated in the lab to act like embryonic cells
What is induced pluripotency transduction?
a process in which adult cells, such as skin or blood cells, are reprogrammed to become pluripotent stem cells. This reprogramming involves the introduction of specific genes or factors into the adult cells, which ‘induce’ them to revert to a more primitive, pluripotent state, similar to embryonic stem cells
Ethical Implications/Considerations of Stem Cell Research
Taken from IVF
- Obama lifted a 8 year ban on stem cell research that restricted federal funding
- This moves opens the door for research to access 10 billion dollar for biomedical research
- Opposition to this moves states if an embryo is a life, then no government has the right to sanction their destruction for research
What determines the type of spinal cord lesion
- mechanism of injury
- direction of forces
Define Complete Spinal Cord Injury
A complete spinal cord injury produces total loss of all motor and sensory function below the level of injury.
_____ of all spinal cord injuries are complete
1/2
True or false: in a complete spinal cord injury the cord is cut and/or transected
False
the spinal cord is rarely cut or transected; bruising/swelling/bone fragments around cord decreasing perfusion via pressure to glial cells more commonly causes loss of function
What commonly causes loss of function in spinal cord injuries
bruising/swelling/bone fragments around cord decreasing perfusion via pressure to glial cells more commonly causes loss of function
True or false: the original presentation of function following an SCI is the level of function the patient has permanently
False
Once swelling from initial injury subsides, mobility and sensation can increase. Need to await for prognosi
Define Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury
there is some functioning below the primary level of the injury
may be able to move one limb more than another, may be able to feel parts of the body that cannot be moved, or may have more functioning on one side of the body than the other.
What is helpful in predicting what parts of the body may be affected by paralysis/loss of function
Level of injury
Incomplete injuries there will be some ________ in these prognoses.
variation
True or false: a break in vertebra indicates a SCI
False: Can break vertebra without damage to cord
Cervical injuries result in
Quadriplegia
At C3 and above level requires
ventilator support
C5 injuries result in
result in shoulder and biceps control, but no control at the wrist or hand. diaphragm function still present.
_________ is still present when injury at C-5.
Diaphragm function
Injuries at C6/C7 result in
Quadriplegia, some function of upper extremities, sensory level lost below sternum
SCI to thoracic level results in
paraplegia, with the hands not affected.
SCI to T1-T8 result
most often control of the hands, but poor trunk control as the result of lack of abdominal muscle control.
SCI to T9-T12 result in
good truck control and good abdominal muscle control. Sitting balance is very good
SCI to lumbar/sacral region
decreasing control of the hip flexors and legs.
True or false: following SCI patients tend to struggle most with altered mobility/sensation/paralysis
false
What other changes than mobility/sensation/paralysis do SCI patients struggle with most
- bowel/bladder dysfunction
- sexual functioning (men decreased fertility, womens not affected)
- low BP/inability to regulate
- inability to regulate temperature
- inability to sweat below injury level
- chronic pain
4 components of SCI diagnosis
- neuro exam for level of injury
- reflexes
- spine x ray
- CT/MRI
What is autonomic dysreflexia?
A complication related to SCI in which various triggers cause reflexes - occurs when there is an abnormal, exaggerated response of the autonomic nervous system to a noxious stimulus or irritation below the level of the spinal cord injury
Definition and triggers associated with autonomic dysreflexia
a dangerous syndrome involving an overreaction of your autonomic nervous system
- distension of the bladder (most common)
- bladder or kidney stones
- a kink in a urinary catheter, - infection of the urinary tract,
- fecal impaction,
- pressure sores
- an ingrown toenail,
- fractures
- menstruation
- hemorrhoids
Reason for corticosteroids in SCI treatment
reduce swelling that may damage the spinal cord.
dexamethasone or methylprednisolone
2 reason for surgery in SCI treatment
- remove fluid or tissue that presses on the spinal cord (decompression laminectomy).
- needed to remove bone fragments, disc fragments, or foreign objects or to stabilize fractured vertebrae
Beyond drugs and surgery, what are the other components of SCI treatment?
- bedrest to allow spinal bones to heal
- address muscle spasms, care of skin, bladder/bowel dysfunction
- rehab
What is the most common head injury?
Concussion-Mild Brain Injury
Define concussion
- A mild injury to the brain caused by rapid movement of the head so that the brain is injured by hitting the inside of the skull.
- Traumatic induced alteration in mental status
Simple test to assess for concussion
closing your eyes and holding balance on one leg; concussed individuals are unable
What are the most common EARLY signs and symptoms of a concussion?
confusion, amnesia, N/V