Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Oct-Dec;44(4):272-280.
doi: 10.1097/TME.0000000000000428.

Acute Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

Elizabeth C Taylor  1 , Casey E Fitzpatrick, Stasia E Thompson, Stephanie Baker Justice
Affiliations

Acute Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

Elizabeth C Taylor et al. Adv Emerg Nurs J. 2022 Oct-Dec.

Abstract

Approximately 17,000 new spinal cord injuries occur each year in the United States, with motor vehicle collisions and falls being the most common causes. Even though 94% of patients survive the initial injury and corresponding hospitalization, their life expectancy is reduced secondary to the long-term complications that stem from their injury. Every patient should be approached in the same manner (i.e., as if they have a spinal cord injury) until proven otherwise to prevent additional injury. Important considerations that should take place in the emergency department include the patient's airway, the presence of shock, and the prevention of complications secondary to the primary injury. This article briefly summarizes the epidemiology and pathophysiology of spinal cord injuries and the therapies that may be recommended and initiated following a thorough assessment of the patient.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: The authors report no conflicts of interest.

References

    1. Ahuja C. S., Wilson J. R., Nori S., Kotter M. R. N., Druschel C., Curt A., Fehlings M. G. (2017). Traumatic spinal cord injury. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 3, 1–21.
    1. Bracken M. B., Shepard M. J., Collins W.F., Holford T. R., Young W., Baskin D.S., Winn H. R. (1990). A randomized, controlled trial of methylprednisolone or naloxone in the treatment of acute spinal-cord injury (NASCIS II). New England Journal of Medicine, 322(20), 1405–1411.
    1. Bracken M. B., Shepard M. J., Holford T. R., Leo-Summers L., Aldrich E. F., Fazl M., Young W. (1997). Administration of methylprednisolone for 24 or 48 Hours or tirilazad mesylate for 48 hours in the treatment of acute spinal cord injury (NASCIS III). JAMA, 277(20), 1597–1604.
    1. Braughler J. M., Hall E. D. (1983). Lactate and pyruvate metabolism in injured cat spinal cord before and after a single large intravenous dose of methylprednisolone. Journal of Neurosurgery, 59(2), 256–61.
    1. Catapano J. S., John Hawryluk G. W., Whetstone W., Saigal R., Ferguson A., Talbott J., Manley G. (2016). Higher mean arterial pressure values correlate with neurologic improvement in patients with initially complete spinal cord injuries. World Neurosurgery, 96, 72–79.

LinkOut - more resources