Spinal Cord Injury Foundations and Acute Care

Vocabulary practice flashcards focusing on spinal cord anatomy, levels of injury, shock states, autonomic dysreflexia, and acute nursing care.

Primary Functions of the Spinal Cord

Carrying sensory input, carrying motor output, and coordinating reflexes.

Meninges

The three protective membranes consisting of the dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater.

Ascending Spinal Tracts

Nerve pathways that transmit sensory information from the body toward the brain.

Descending Spinal Tracts

Nerve pathways that transmit motor commands from the brain toward the body.

Spinal Nerves

$31$ pairs consisting of $8$ cervical, $12$ thoracic, $5$ lumbar, $5$ sacral, and $1$ coccygeal.

Complete Spinal Cord Injury

An injury characterized by no preserved sensory or motor function in the lowest sacral segments (S4-S5).

Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury

An injury characterized by some sensory or motor function remaining below the injury level, including sacral sparing.

First Priority in Suspected Spinal Cord Injury

Managing airway and breathing while maintaining spinal motion restriction and alignment.

High Cervical Spinal Cord Injury Complication

Impaired diaphragm function leading to potential respiratory failure.

Spinal Shock

Transient loss of reflexes and motor/sensory function below the level of spinal cord injury.

Neurogenic Shock

Hypotension with loss of sympathetic tone and often bradycardia after high spinal cord injury.

Standardized Neurologic Assessment for SCI

Serial motor, sensory, and reflex examinations used to help establish the neurologic level of injury.

Autonomic Dysreflexia

A potentially life-threatening sympathetic response to a noxious stimulus below a spinal lesion, usually at or above T6.

Triggers of Autonomic Dysreflexia

Bladder distention, bowel impaction, and other painful or irritating stimuli below the spinal lesion.

Manifestations of Autonomic Dysreflexia

Sudden severe hypertension, headache, flushing/sweating above the injury, and possible reflex bradycardia.

Initial Nursing Actions for Autonomic Dysreflexia

Sitting the client upright, assessing blood pressure frequently, and promptly identifying/removing the trigger, beginning with urinary causes.

Key Complications of Spinal Cord Injury

Respiratory compromise, pressure injury, DVT, urinary retention, bowel dysfunction, spasticity, and autonomic dysreflexia.

Rationale for Frequent Skin Assessment in SCI

Mitigating high risk of pressure-injury caused by the loss of sensation and mobility.