Acute spinal cord compression is a neurosurgical emergency. Rapid diagnosis and management are essential to have the highest chances of preventing permanent loss of function. This article discusses step by step emergency management for Acute Spinal Cord Compression. Patients with acute spinal are stratified based on the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale.
British medical journal have given following recommendations for emergency management of acute spinal cord compression patients. Nurse the patient flat with the spine in neutral alignment until spinal stability and neurological stability are ensured. For patients with confirmed spinal injury, neurosurgical evaluation with neural decompression and spinal stabilization is recommended within 24 hours. Early decompressive surgery is reported to significantly improve outcome and reduces complication rates, but this…
