acute spinal injury
acute spinal injury
Any trauma to the spinal cord or cauda equina that may result in long-term neurologic deficit, which can be loosely divided into primary injury (which occurs at the time of initial injury and may include intervertebral disk herniation, vertebral fracture or luxation, penetrating injury and vascular anomalies) and secondary injury (which is multifactorial and encompasses the biochemical and vascular events that result in progression of injury).Initial management
Airway maintenance, CPR, spinal immobilisation, drugs (metaraminol for hypotension, methylprednisolone to minimise motor loss), ancillary (adjunctive) therapy (e.g., indwelling urinary catheter, NG tube except where contraindicated as in facial injuries), gastroduodenal ulcer prophylaxis with H2-blockers, PTE prophylaxis with low-dose heparin, pneumatic compression boots.