- Patient and family teaching
Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
Definition:
- Fracture or displacement of one or more vertebrae causing damae to spinal cord and
nerve roots with resulting neurological deficit and altered sensory perception or
paralysis or both. There will be a total or partial absence of motor and/or sensory
function below the level of injury. (Ignatavious and Workman, 2006)
Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
- A major health problem
- 200,000 persons in the U.S. live with disability from SCI
- Causes include MVAs (35%), violence (24%), falls (22%), and sports injuries (8%)
- Males account for 82% of SCIs
- Young people ages 16–30 account for more than half of all new SCIs
- African–Americans are at higher risk
- Risk factors include alcohol and drug use
- Prevention
Spinal Cord Injury
— The result of concussion, contusion, laceration or compression of spinal cord.
— Primary injury is the result of the initial trauma.
— Secondary injury is usually the result of ischemia, hypoxia, and hemorrhage that
destroys the nerve tissues.
— Secondary injuries are thought to be reversible/preventable during the first 4– 6
hours after injury.
— Treatment is needed to prevent partial injury from developing into more extensive,
permanent
Clinical Manifestations
— Manifestations depend on the type and level of injury
— Incomplete spinal cord lesions (the sensory or motor fibers, or both, are preserved
below the lesion): below the injury; total sensory and motor paralysis, loss of bladder