Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury Flashcards
What is a devastating injury resulting in permanent paralysis and disability?
Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury
What is the most common etiology of Spinal Cord Injury?
MVA (38%)
Acts of violence (13.5%)
Sports (9%)
What do you call the bruising of the spinal cord that includes bleeding into the cord, causing edema and possible neuronal death due to compression?
Contusion
It is an actual tear in the spinal cord that can result in a spinal injury.
Laceration
What is the sudden deceleration of the head and neck (head on motet collision/ diving incidents) that usually affects the C5-C6?
Hyperflexion
What is the most common type of injury, caused by a fall, rear end MVA, getting hit in the head?
Hyperextension
When a person lands on the feet or buttocks after falling or jumping from a height or a direct blow to the head, injury results from vertebral column compression leading to fracture, what mechanism of injury is this?
Axial Loading
What should be prioritized when assessing a client with a Spinal Cord Injury?
ABCs with attention to immobilization of the spine to prevent further injuries.
What do you call the surgical intervention for the removal of the lamina of the vertebral ring which allows decompression and removal of bony fragments?
Laminectomy
What mechanism of injury forces extreme twisting or lateral flexion of the head and neck?
Rotational Injuries
What entails the fusion of 2-6 vertebral elements in order to provide stability and prevent motion?
Spinal Fusion
What stabilizes and realigns the larger segments of the spinal column (Harrington rods) and is useful in the thoracolumbar area?
Rodding
How do you differentiate complete spinal injury from incomplete spinal injury?
Complete SCI: total loss of sensory and motor function below the level of injury due to complete interruption of motor and sensory pathway.
Incomplete SCI: mixes loss of motor and sensory function as some spinal tracts remain intact.
What do you call the severing of the spinal cord resulting in the complete loss of function below the level of the injury?
Transection
What may occur due to the temporary suppression of reflexes controlled by the segments below the level of the spinal cord injury?
Spinal Shock
Where is the frequent point of lower back pain?
Sacral Region
What results in mixed loss of motor and sensory function as some spinal tracts remain intact?
Incomplete SCI
What usually occurs due to the sudden loss of sympathetic tone, with preserved parasympathetic function, leading to autonomic instability?
Neurogenic Shock
What is considered as a life-threatening complication for SCI at or above T6 due to unopposed sympathetic response below the level of injury?
Autonomic Dysreflexia
Why is mechanical ventilation required for spinal cord injury at C2 and above?
Due to loss of diaphragmatic innervation
What is maintained throughout the trauma evaluation to prevent additional injury?
Immobilization
What test is done to identify presence of injury to the vertebral column?
X-Ray
What image is taken to reveal injury to the spinal cord itself?
CT Images
What test is done to reveal more subtle signs of injury to the ligaments and other supporting structures?
MRI
What pharmacologic management is done in order to prevent post-traumatic spinal cord ischemia, improving energy metabolism, restoring extracellular calcium and improving nerve impulse conduction?
Methylprednisolone (bolus then continuous infusion for at least 24-48h)
