Acute Spinal Cord Injuries

The symptoms of an acute SCI can differ greatly. The location of the damage on the spinal cord determines which part of the body is affected and how severe the symptoms are.

A spinal cord injury may cause your spine to be in shock. This results in a loss or diminution of sensation, muscle movement, and reflexes. Other symptoms might develop depending on the site of the damage as swelling begins to decrease.

The severity of the symptoms generally increases as the injury gets higher up in the spinal cord. An injury to the neck, upper two vertebrae of the spinal column (C1, C2), or mid-cervical vertebrae (C3, C4, and C5) affects breathing muscles and respiratory function. A lower injury to the lumbar vertebrae may result in bladder, bowel, and leg nerve and muscle control as well as sexual function impairment.

• Quadriplegia is loss of function in the arms and legs.
• Paraplegia is loss of function in the legs and lower body.

Damage to the spinal cord is classified as complete or incomplete according to its extent.

• A complete injury is one in which there is no feeling or movement below the site of the hurt.
• An incomplete injury implies that there is still sensation or movement below the level of the damage.

The following are the most frequent symptoms of a spinal cord injury that is in its early stages:

• Muscle weakness
• Loss of voluntary muscle movement in the chest, arms, or legs
• Breathing problems
• Loss of feeling in the chest, arms, or legs
• Loss of bowel and bladder function

SCI signs and symptoms might be mistaken for those of other diseases or issues.

How Are Acute Spinal Cord Injuries Diagnosed?

Acute SCI is a medical emergency that calls for an urgent examination. Every time there’s a suspicion of spinal cord trauma, an emergency evaluation is required.

An SCI’s symptoms may not be immediately apparent. A complete medical examination and tests are required. The diagnosis of a spinal cord injury begins with a physical examination and diagnostic testing. The health care provider will inquire about your medical history and how the damage happened during the evaluation. Following a spinal cord injury, you may suffer from neurological disorders that will require additional medical attention. Surgery is sometimes required to stabilize the spinal cord after an acute SCI.

Diagnostic tests may include:

• Blood tests
• X-ray. The technique of using invisible electromagnetic energy beams to create pictures of internal tissues, bones, and organs on film is known as endomicroscopy.
• A computed tomography scan (also known as a CT or CAT scan) is an X-ray examination that uses computer technology and radiation to create detailed pictures (typically called slices) of the body. A CT scan captures pictures of any portion of the body, including bones, muscles, fat, and organs. CT scans provide greater detail than X-rays.
• MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, is another option. This test uses large magnets, radio waves, and a computer to create detailed pictures of organs and structures inside the body.

How Is An Acute Spinal Cord Injury Treated?

The SCI policy covers every person involved in an accident or injury. Following a traumatic experience, your head and neck will be immobilized to prevent movement for your safety. When you’re scared or in shock after a bad collision, this might be quite tough.

The goal of acute spinal cord injury care is to return you to an as normal life as possible.

• Age, overall health, and medical history
• Extent of the SCI
• Type of SCI
• How you respond to initial treatment
• The expected course of the SCI
• Your opinion or preference

There is presently no way to cure a damaged or injured spinal cord. Researchers are now actively looking for ways to promote spinal cord regeneration, although there is currently no technique for repairing it. The degree of the SCI and the site in which it was sustained determine whether it’s mild, severe, or deadly.

Spinal cord injuries are often treated with surgery, which may include everything from evaluating the injured spinal cord to bracing fractured backbones and relieving pressure in the afflicted region. Your therapy may entail:

• Observation and medical management in the intensive care unit (ICU)
• Medicines, such as corticosteroids (to help decrease the swelling in the spinal cord)
• Mechanical ventilator, a breathing machine (to help you breathe)
• Bladder catheter. A tube that is placed into the bladder helps to drain urine into a collection bag.
• Feeding tube (placed through the nostril to the stomach, or directly through the abdomen into the stomach, to provide extra nutrition and calories)

Long-term hospitalization and rehabilitation are often required following a spinal cord injury. Nurses, therapists (physical, occupational, or speech), and other specialists work together to treat your pain and track your heart function, blood pressure, body temperature, nutrition status, bladder and bowel function, as well as spasticity.