Because a spinal cord injury requires immediate medical attention, treatment often begins at the scene of the accident. Paramedics and other
emergency workers have three main priorities when attending to someone with a neck or back injury:
- Maintaining airways so that the patient is able to breathe;
- Preventing the patient from going into shock;
- immobilising the patient's neck in order to prevent further spinal cord damage.
A rigid neck collar and rigid carrying board are used by paramedics to immobilise the spine during the journey to hospital.
Once at hospital doctors will concentrate on maintaining blood pressure, breathing and stabilising the neck.They will also check for any complications
such as stool or urine retention, respiratory or cardiovascular difficulty and any signs of deep vein thromboses.
The patient is often sedated, in order to prevent movement of the neck and spine, whilst undergoing further diagnostic checks and scans.
Patients with a spinal cord injury are usually transferred to a specific hospital with expertise in spinal injuries.
In the early stages treatment will include:
- Medication. A steroid called methylprednisolone seems to cause some recovery in people with a spinal cord injury. It works by reducing the damage to
nerve cells and decreasing inflammation near the site of the injury. Methylpredisolone needs to be given within eight hours of the injury;
- Immobilisation. The patient may need traction in order to stabilise the spine and align the spine correctly during healing
- Surgery. Controversy exists as to the best time to operate on someone with a spinal injury. Some doctors prefer to operate as soon as possible whilst
others prefer to wait for several days. The research evidence on this is so far inconclusive. Surgery is often necessary to remove fragents of bones,
foreign objects, herniated discs or fractured vertebrae that may be compressing the spinal cord.
