Spinal Cord Injury
This grading system classifies spinal cord injuries from A through E.
What is the ASIA Scale?
Hypotension, bradycardia, and hypothermia describe this complication.
What is Neurogenic Shock?
The immune system attacks this structure.
What is the myelin sheath?
This medication prevents postoperative DVTs.
What is Enoxaparin?
The highest priority after an acute spinal cord injury.
What is maintaining the airway?
A client has sensation below the injury but no motor function.
What is ASIA Class B?
This complication occurs immediately after injury and is characterized by flaccid paralysis and absent reflexes.
What is Spinal Shock?
This is the most common symptom experienced by clients with MS.
What is fatigue?
This medication reduces muscle spasticity by acting on GABA-B receptors.
What is Baclofen?
This diagnostic scale measures motor and sensory function following spinal cord injury.
What is the ASIA Scale?
A client with a C4 injury will most likely require this type of adaptive equipment for mobility.
What is a sip-and-puff device?
This is ALWAYS the nurse's first intervention during autonomic dysreflexia.
What is sit the patient upright?
According to McDonald's Criteria, MS lesions must be disseminated in these two ways.
What are space and time?
This medication can increase the risk for Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy.
What is Natalizumab?
These four complications should always be prevented in SCI patients.
What are respiratory compromise, pressure injuries, venous thromboembolism, and urinary tract infections?
This type of spinal cord injury leaves some motor or sensory function below the level of injury.
What is an incomplete spinal cord injury?
Name two common triggers of autonomic dysreflexia.
What are a full bladder, fecal impaction, pressure injury, UTI, fractures, surgery, sexual intercourse, or tight clothing?
A squeezing sensation around the chest that feels like a blood pressure cuff.
What is the MS Hug?
This medication is given before surgery to decrease secretions and may also treat severe bradycardia in SCI.
What is Atropine?
Clients with MS should avoid this environmental condition because it temporarily worsens symptoms.
What is heat exposure (hot showers, saunas, sunbathing, fever, or hot weather)?
Injuries at this cervical level often require mechanical ventilation because the diaphragm can be affected.
What are C1-C4 spinal cord injuries?
Absent bowel sounds following SCI should make the nurse suspect this complication.
What is a paralytic ileus?
Heat temporarily worsens symptoms because damaged nerves cannot conduct impulses efficiently.
What is Uhthoff's phenomenon (heat sensitivity)?
This medication modulates calcium channels to decrease neuropathic pain
What is Gabapentin?
When bowel sounds disappear after SCI, this intervention is indicated.
What is inserting a nasogastric tube?