Evaluation and management of acute cervical spine trauma

The evaluation and management of cervical spine injuries is a core component of the practice of emergency medicine. This article focuses on evaluation and management of blunt cervical spine trauma by the emergency physician. Pertinent anatomy of the cervical spine and specific cervical spine fractures are discussed, with an emphasis on unstable injuries and associated spinal cord pathology. The association of vertebral artery injury with cervical spine fracture is addressed, followed by a review of the most recent literature on prehospital care. Initial considerations in the emergency department, including cervical spine stabilization and airway management, are reviewed. The most current recommendations for cervical spine imaging with regard to indications and modalities are covered. Finally, emergency department management and disposition of patients with spinal cord injuries are reviewed.     

Acute care management of spinal cord injuries

Meeting the health care needs of the spinal cord-injured patient is an immense challenge for the acute care multidisciplinary team. The critical care nurse clinician, as well as other members of the team, needs to maintain a comprehensive knowledge base to provide the care management that is essential to the care of the spinal cord-injured patient. With the active participation of the patient and family in care delivery decisions, the health care professionals can help to meet the psychosocial and physical needs of the patient/family unit. This article provides an evidence-based, comprehensive review of the needs of the spinal cord-injured patient in the acute care setting including optimal patient outcomes, methods to prevent complications, and a plan that provides an expeditious transition to rehabilitation.     

Spinal trauma

The practice of spinal immobilization has existed since the 1960s under the premise that trauma victims with cervical spine injuries may suffer neurologic injury if moved without stabilization consisting of a rigid cervical collar and long spine board. Because of this assumption, it is of particular importance to assess for movement of the cervical spine with and without spinal immobilization. Over time, the on-field management of athletes with a mechanism consistent with spinal cord injury (SCI) has evolved and produced protocols that can be considered standard of care. Attempts to find evidencebased research to verify the necessity of a rigid collar and long spine board as the only option in athletic medicine for suspected SCI is difficult. As changes occur in the Emergency Medical Services standards, there will be opportunities to see how their processes relate to athletes and the rationale for immobilization on the field of play. Going forward, there could very well be a significant change in the approach to and management of the athlete down on the field of play with a suspected spinal cord injury.     

Epidemiology of spine tumors presenting to musculoskeletal physiatrists

OBJECTIVE: To report the incidence and epidemiologic formation of previously undetected primary and secondary spine tumors presenting as spinal and/or extremity pain to a physiatrist practicing in an academic or private practice multidisciplinary spine center. DESIGN: Multicenter retrospective chart review. SETTING: Three multidisciplinary spine settings (1 academic, 2 private). PARTICIPANTS: Charts of patients from 33 academic and 18 private practice settings. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Epidemiologic data collected included incidence, age, gender, race, and duration of symptoms before initial presentation. Symptom presentation data collected included intensity of pain when supine, sitting, standing, or walking; character of the pain; pain intensity as measured on the visual analog scale (VAS); spontaneous versus traumatic etiology; unexplained weight loss; presence of night pain; and fever. In addition, the results of radiographic studies including plain films, imaging, bone scan, and magnetic resonance imaging were recorded. The type of neoplastic disease was also assessed, primary versus metastatic, as well as the metastatic source. RESULTS: The incidence of spine tumors was.69% in academic multidisciplinary spine centers and.12% in private practice multidisciplinary spine centers. Patients with spinal pain because of neoplastic disease who presented to musculoskeletal physiatrists were an average age of 65.3 years and reported a relatively high likelihood of night pain, aching character of symptom manifestation, spontaneous onset of symptoms, history of cancer, standing and walking provoking symptoms, and unexplained weight loss. In addition, the pain intensity level ranged widely, with an average VAS score of 6.8. CONCLUSIONS: There are many similarities and differences in the clinical presentation of patients with spinal pain from spine tumors who present to musculoskeletal physiatrists practicing in multidisciplinary spine centers when compared with those presenting to a primary care setting.     

Understanding spinal stenosis

Spinal stenosis is a progressive condition that represents approximately 5% of all back disease. Symptoms usually appear around age 50 to 60 and lead to increasing pain and disability as the condition progresses. Understanding the disorder, appropriate diagnostic tests, and treatment options is essential to providing appropriate nursing care and education for this patient population. Included in this article is a review of normal spine anatomy, pathology and symptoms of spinal stenosis, treatment options, appropriate nursing interventions, and patient education for the patient with spinal stenosis.     

Patient positioning and spinal locking for lumbar spine rotation manipulation

High velocity low amplitude (HVLA) thrust techniques are widely used by many manual therapists to treat low back pain. There is increasing evidence that spinal manipulation produces positive patient outcomes for acute low back pain. HVLA thrust techniques are associated with an audible release in the form of a pop or cracking sound that is widely accepted to represent cavitation of a spinal zygapophyseal joint. This audible release distinguishes these techniques from other manual therapy interventions. When using long lever HVLA thrust techniques spinal locking is necessary to localize forces and achieve cavitation at a specific vertebral segment. A critical factor in applying lumbar spine manipulation with minimal force is patient positioning and spinal locking. A knowledge of coupled movements of the lumbar spine aids an understanding of the patient positioning required to achieve spinal locking consistent with maximal patient comfort and cooperation. Excessive rotation can result in pain, patient resistance and failed technique. This masterclass presents a model of patient positioning for the lumbar spine that minimizes excessive use of rotation to achieve spinal locking prior to the application of the thrust.     

Spinal Cord Injury With a Narrow Spinal Canal: Utilizing Torg’s Ratio Method of Analyzing Cervical Spine Radiographs

A 65-year-old inebriated mancrashed his car and presented with spinal shock and neurogenic shock from a cervical spinal cord injury without cervical spine fracture or dislocation. The lateral cervical spine radiography was initially read as normal, except for degenerative disk disease; however, Torg’s ratio method of analyzing cervical spinal canal sagittal width indicated the spinal canal was congenitally narrow. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed this and showed bulging and herniation of multiple invertebral disks between C2 and C7. This case illustrates the value of using Torg’s ratio method of analyzing lateral cervical spine radiographs. Although Torg’s method has not been prospectively validated, it may be useful to identify patients at risk for cervical spinal cord injuries without fractures or dislocations. An abnormal Torg’s ratio may be the only clue to the fact that the patient is at higher risk of spinal cord injury when the patient’s history or examination is questionable because of head injury, drug intoxication, or therapeutic sedation and paralysis.     

Spinal immobilisation of the multiply injured patient

Total spinal immobilisation is now a major consideration when dealing with the multiply injured patient. However, many staff involved with the care of these patients are unaware of the precautions required to achieve this goal. A great deal of medical research has been carried out to ascertain the effectiveness of immobilisation techniques but these have been concerned mainly with cervical spine (C-spine) methods.Methods of immobilising the C-spine and procedures required to maintain spinal immobilisation are shown with the aid of photographs to clarify certain techniques. These include the spinal lift and log roll.All staff dealing with the multiply injured patient must know how to achieve total spinal immobilisation. It is the aim of this article to equip staff with the necessary theoretical knowledge, with the aid of photographs, to achieve this goal until such a time as injury to the spine is excluded.     

Scoliosis, superior mesenteric artery syndrome, and adolescents

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is defined as a lateral curvature of the spine that can occur in any region of the spinal column. For curves that require surgical correction, spinal fusion is the surgical treatment, and superior mesenteric artery syndrome is a possible complication. Risk factors for superior mesenteric artery syndrome include a small aorta-superior mesenteric artery angle, spinal lengthening, and an asthenic habitus. Asthenic habitus may be due to natural build, peptic ulcer disease, or anorexia, especially among adolescent females. Research regarding adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and superior mesenteric artery syndrome is warranted to identify if some adolescents are more likely to develop superior mesenteric artery syndrome. The advanced practice nurse can identify which adolescents may develop superior mesenteric artery syndrome and provide safe care to avoid this complication.     

四步练功法治疗胸腰椎骨折

Background:If thoracic- lumbar spine fracture happens, the structure of spinal cord will be destructed and injure spinal cord, and patient with light lesion has mutilation, and patient with serious lesion has paralysis all his life.So it is very important for rehabilitation after injury.Tetra step training,that is oneself reduction therapy,restore the function of spinal cord,and promote fracture healing by dorsum extension exercise step by step,and increasing of muscle strength of back muscle; make compressed vertebra reduction by performing power muscle strength of extensorum and practice posture.It is very good method for therapy of thoracic-lumbar fracture.     

Spinal surgery patient care

Care of the patient experiencing spinal surgery requires clear understanding of the normal anatomy, physiology, and functioning of the spine, as well as the effect of back pain and disability on human responses. Nurses must consider key assessments and interventions preoperatively, intraoperatively, and postoperatively to provide holistic care and recognize potential complications. Interdisciplinary care priorities with spinal surgery patients are addressed to promote uncomplicated rehabilitation and promotion of quality activities of daily living.     

Missed lumbar transverse process fractures in a high school football player

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the case of a football player who had suffered a transverse process fracture of the lumbar spine that was overlooked on initial chiropractic and medical examination. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 17-year-old male football player had been speared in the back by another player. He reported severe initial pain that caused him to fall to the ground, and there was a moderate degree of pain at the time of his chiropractic examination 1 week after injury. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: Initial chiropractic treatment consisted of spinal manipulation to the lumbar spine. Follow-up care consisted of lumbar spine radiographs that showed evidence of a lumbar transverse process fracture at 2 levels. The boy was referred to his medical doctor, who was not convinced of the presence of a fracture and returned him to play. A computed tomography scan was subsequently performed; this confirmed fractures of the transverse processes of L2 and L3. The patient was precluded from contact sports for 4 weeks. Chiropractic care 3 weeks after injury included physiotherapy and drop table mobilization to the sacroiliac joints. The patient returned to play 4 weeks after the injury. CONCLUSION: Transverse process fractures commonly occur secondary to blunt trauma in contact sports such as football. With high-force direct trauma, radiographs should be performed to rule out fracture before returning the athlete to play or commencing spinal manipulation.     

Posterior lumbar interbody fusion: an old concept with new techniques.

The estimated cumulative cost of health care attributable to back pain exceeds 25 billion dollars per year in the United States, and more than 200,000 spine fusion procedures are performed each year in an effort to relieve discogenic back pain and instability. These numbers are projected to rise in the face of our aging population. As new interbody grafting sources have been developed, posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) is being used with increasing frequency. PLIF was once a procedure that required extensive dissection of the musculoligamentous complex of the dorsal spine. Advances in surgical technique and technology now allow access to spinal structures with minimal trauma to surrounding tissue. Knowledge of the various fusion procedures can assist nurses caring for the unique needs of patients undergoing spinal surgery.     

Impact of spine surgery complications on costs associated with management of adult spinal deformity

A better understanding of the consequences of spine surgery complications is warranted to optimize patient-reported outcomes and contain the rising health care costs associated with the management of adult spinal deformity (ASD). We systematically searched PubMed and Scopus databases using keywords “adult spinal deformity surgery,” “complications,” and “cost” for published studies on costs of complications associated with spinal surgery, with a particular emphasis on ASD and scoliosis. In the 17 articles reviewed, we identified 355,354 patients with 11,148 reported complications. Infection was the most commonly reported complication, with an average treatment cost ranging from $15,817 to $38,701. Hospital costs for patients with deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary thromboembolism, and surgical site infection were 2.3 to 3.1 times greater than for patients without those complications. An effort to collect and characterize data on cost of complications is encouraged, which may help health care providers to identify potential resources to limit complications and overall costs.     

Care, attention and imaginative identification in nursing practice

This paper has relevance for both the major health care professions of medicine and nursing Therefore the author tends to speak of health care practitioners rather than nurses or doctors The author argues that health care practitioners need to be supported and facilitated in analysis of the concept of care both during their initial professional educational preparation and during their professional lives Developing an adequate conceptual base for health care practice enables the practitioner to clarify issues of role, function and responsibilities A conceptual analysis of caring in health care practice highlights the need for practitioners to develop skills of attention and imaginative identification These skills enable the practitioner to provide constructive care for patients Constructive care is care which is patient-based and patient-oriented, identification of patient need being the stimulus and the focus of practitioner response     

A Model for Ultrasound-Assisted Lumbar Puncture

Clinicians may find traditional lumbar puncture (LP) attempts fail due to indistinct landmarks in morbidly obese patients necessitating ultrasound localization or fluoroscopy. We believe a readily available teaching model is needed because many emergency physicians may be unfamiliar with ultrasound-assisted LP. Review of current literature shows that there are few commercially available LP models suitable for use with ultrasound. Those on the market are expensive and have limited reusability. We have succeeded in creating a low-cost reusable model for training health care professionals to perform ultrasound-assisted LP. We believe there will be many benefits to using this model including: increase in emergency department (ED) LP success rates, decrease in number of radiology consults for fluoroscopy, increase in patient satisfaction, decreased waiting time in the ED, and fewer complications due to fewer needle passes. This model effectively reproduces the sonographic appearance of the lumbar spine and overlying soft tissue and aids in teaching bedside ultrasound-assisted LP. The model has an opaque "skin" overlying a gel wax mold containing a lumbar spine. A catheter containing water is imbedded in the spine to simulate the spinal canal and cerebrospinal fluid. The skin allows for a more realistic procedure and can be removed for visual confirmation of a successful LP. In addition, successful needle placement will result in return of clear fluid. Construction of the model requires a commercially available lumbar spine and items found in craft stores with a total cost of approximately $100.     

Preventive care in spinal cord injuries and disorders: examples of research and implementation

Individuals with disabilities are less likely to receive preventive care services than those in the general population. Prevention is very important in persons with spinal cord injuries and disorders for both common conditions such as respiratory infections and for conditions common in spinal cord disorders such as neurogenic bowel, because these individuals are at increased risk for negative outcomes. Clinical practice guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations for patient care. However, dissemination of guidelines is not sufficient to increase use of recommended care. Implementation research has identified strategies to increase use of evidence-based care and subsequently improve patient outcomes.     

The political role of illness narratives

Cultural criticism is used to describe the political role of autobiographical illness narratives or pathographies. In expressing the subjective experience of illness, authors of pathographies illuminate ideological differences between patient and health care cultures, reveal the dominance of health care ideologies, and explicate patients' moral and political claims. The contributions of these literary works to nursing practice provide direction for relational restructuring. Gadow's concept of the relational narrative is proposed as a way to restore patient subjectivity and agency and establish the dialogue necessary for cultural pluralism in nursing and health care.     

Innovative approach in rehabilitation nursing: providing primary care to tertiary care patients

In 1998 health care legislation in Ontario changed and allowed Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioners the possibility to expand their practice. At a rehabilitation centre, where spinal cord injured patients would seek primary health care services, a new amalgamated role was implemented to meet those needs. This article will described the advanced practice role that was developed, define the scope of practice, and demonstrate an innovative approach to service delivery. The role serves as a concrete link between primary health care services and tertiary care patients needs.