Symptoms And Treatment Of The Fracture

There are many types of spinal cord injuries (SCI). Patients with SCI can symptoms that range from mild neurologic impairment (such as numbness and tingling of extremities or neck pain) to devastating total body paralysis depending on the extent of damage and where in the spinal cord the damage occurs. Management of airway, breathing and circulation are key with SCI patients, as well as immediate immobilization. With proper care and intervention, chances of survival are greatly improved.

     This essay is not intended to criticize any emergency medical or hospital staff. I am writing this essay out of concern for patients who come into the emergency room that may have a jeopardized spinal cord resulting from an injury or suspected injury to their cervical spine. I am a certified emergency medical technician, farm-medic instructor and currently a medical diagnostic student doing clinicial's. In the United States each year there are approximately 10,000 reported cervical spine injuries that come into emergency rooms. Motor vehicle accidents account for approximately 45%, falls approximately 30%, the remaining 25% from sports and miscellaneous. Although only a small amount of

After researching about paraplegic and quadriplegic, it has been determined how they occur and in what parts of the body they affect. According to John Hopkins Medical, if a person suffers with paraplegic or quadriplegic, it is caused by damage to the spinal cord. To determine whether a person has a spinal injury, doctors will use clinical signs to help determine the severity of the injury. When the spinal cord has been injured, the patient might feel pain, and some disorders; such as motor or sensory. When this occurs, it allows the doctor to determine the cause of the injury, however; most spinal injuries are caused by traumatic accidents. The two

Personal Statement My aspiration to become a speech pathologist is the culmination of a life-long interest in science and the human voice. As a sophomore in college I became serious about acting and musical theater and was recruited into the state reparatory acting program at Cal State Fullerton. At Cal State, I continued singing and playing lead parts in productions. I found a particular affinity for manipulating my voice for theatrical dialects, and developing optimal vocal support and projection on stage.

Spinal cord injuries can be extremely debilitating with significant impairment in autonomic, sensory, and motor function (Coll-Miro et al., 2016). The prevalence in Canada is on the rise with approximately 86,000 individuals suffering from such injuries as of 2010 (Noonan et al., 2012). Spinal cord injuries are generally classified as either traumatic or non-traumatic, depending on etiology (Sabapathy et al., 2015). In addition, they are subdivided into either complete or incomplete, depending on whether the spinal cord section is fully or partially damaged (Wilberger and Dupre, 2015). The latter classification has better clinical outcomes as some neurologic function is reserved (Wilberger and Dupre, 2015). Other subtypes include paraplegia and quadriplegia denoting paralysis of the lower body or all limbs, respectively (Wilberger and Dupre, 2015; Mayo Clinic Staff, 2014). The pathogenesis of spinal cord injuries is characterized by primary tissue damage due to the force of impact, followed by secondary tissue damage as a result of the inflammatory response (Sabapathy et al., 2015; Coll-Miro et al., 2015). The symptoms and severity may vary depending on the location and pathology of the contusion (Sabapathy et al., 2015). Presenting symptoms include but are not limited to numbness or pain in the extremities, loss of sensation, impaired movement or gait, abnormal reflexes, disrupted bladder or bowel function, and sexual dysfunction (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2014). Several

Five criteria must be met which includes authority, information, objectivity, ease of navigation and privacy and security policies. The website used for my research was www.christopherreeve.org. The website met the five criteria. Authority was displayed in several ways. The author, Judith Lubinsky is qualified as an expert in the spinal cord injury field. Judith is responsible for web production and social media for the website. The contact information and credentials for the author was clearly stated. Information is updated daily to keep readers informed of any changes. The information posted is accurate and appropriate for the intended audience. The author provides an unbiased comprehensive review of spinal cord injuries and management. The sponsor for the website is The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. The source of funding does not have an impact on the information provided. The website provides easy navigation with reliable information, treatment options, clinical trials and ways to get involved. The website provided clear privacy and security

The speech-language pathologists (SLPs) at Martin Health System (MHS) evaluate, diagnose, and treat a diverse patient population who present with a myriad of medical issues, the most common of which is a condition known as dysphagia. More than 80% of patients referred to an SLP at our facility present with this diagnosis. Broadly characterized by trouble swallowing, dysphagia includes everything from painful swallows, to coughing or choking while eating and drinking, or even a sensation of a lump in throat, . Complications of dysphagia can lead to dehydration, malnutrition, and respiratory problems such as aspiration pneumonia, fatigue, cognitive confusion, decreased quality of life, or even death.

Medline Plus defines a traumatic fracture as a trauma sustained by a fall or an auto accident; also known as a broken bone, this is when the bone cracks or breaks during a high impact situation. The traumatic fracture can also be stress fractures where the bone breaks due to overuse whereas a compound or open fracture tend to cut through the skin. Compound fractures, unlike a closed or simple fracture which is hard to see because it does not protrude through the surface. But one of the most misunderstood fractures is the sacral fracture located at the bottom of the spine its noted on Orthobullets website as being a fracture resulting from a neurologic compromise that affects both the elderly and young adults alike. While pathologic fractures

NINDS Spinal Cord Injury Information Page. (2016, March 23). Retrieved March 26, 2016, from http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/sci/sci.htm

A Spinal cord injury is a harm to one or all parts of the spinal cord. A spinal cord injury can affect many aspects of a person’s life such as making him weak and unable to perform daily activities. There are two factors that matter when it comes to spinal cord injury: the part of the spinal cord that is affected and the seriousness of the injury. Moreover, the seriousness of a spinal cord disease is distinguished by two terns: complete and incomplete. A spinal cord injury is complete, when it’s hard or become impossible to move the lowest part of the injured spinal cord. On the other hand, a spinal cord injury is incomplete, when it still possible to move the lowest part of your spinal cord even after an injury. Furthermore,

Once immobilized patients are transported to a higher level of care where they remain immobilized until cleared by a physician typically with the use of x-ray and magnetic resonance imaging. Substantial evidence that this prolonged immobilization on a spine board has potentially negative consequences and may lead to major discomfort for the patient. Various studies have cited the development of pressure sores, inadequate spinal support (in case of dislocated spinal fractures), pain and discomfort, compromised respiratory status, and poor quality of radiologic imaging (Lubbert, Schram,& Leenen, 2005). Other studies add to growing list of negative effects related to spinal immobilization. Included in this list is that immobilized patients are

Therefore, these patients are not ambulating promptly which could lead to more weaknesses and decrease bed mobility. Sadly, if these patients cannot turn independently, there could be a delay in turning and repositioning as well. Dysphasia and swallowing dysfunction are widely accepted risk factors for pneumonia especially aspiration pneumonia (Dang & Marrie, 2014). Nevertheless, too often patients with pneumonia do not receive speech therapy screening if they do not have a Gastrostomy tube. These current practices need to be revised if SNFs want to reduce their readmissions rates within 30 days. Patients with pneumonia need to be evaluated by rehabilitation services promptly upon admission and a plan of care needs to be created and implemented

Clinical manifestations are a direct result of trauma that causes cord compression, ischemia, edema, and possible cord transection (L. Dambaugh, personal communication, November 3, 2015). The individual’s signs and symptoms depend on the level and degree of injury. The higher the injury is on the spine, the more serious the clinical manifestations are because everything below the injury site is affected. Respiratory issues occur with cervical spine involvement. If the injury is above C4, there is a total loss of respiratory function because the communication between the respiratory control center and the body is disconnected. If the injury is below C4 and the phrenic nerve is involved the patient will experience diaphragmatic breathing and likely hypoventilation. When the injury is thoracic, abdominal and intercostal muscles are affected and patients are at risk for

Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation Services (STARS) at its location in East Meadow, New York, is addressing the problem of spinal cord injuries. These injuries are not as well known as one may think. Warren, Hamilton, and Roden-Foreman state that the “incidence of traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is estimated to occur in the United States at a rate of 40 cases per million” (pp. 303, 2013). This is a low incidence, especially in a country of approximately one-third of a billion of people. The prevalence of Americans in 2014 that are alive and have an SCI is approximately 276,000 persons (National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, 2014).

According to Chiles and Cooper (1996) spinal injury should always be suspected in patients with severe systemic trauma, patients