What is spinal shock and its symptoms?
Spinal shock is characterized by a temporary rise in blood pressure that is proceeded by hypotension, flaccid paralysis, urinary retention and fecal incontinence. If reversal of symptoms does not occur within 24hrs, it may call for protracted recovery time and lengthened stay in rehabilitation.
What happens during spinal shock?
Spinal shock is the altered physiologic state immediately after a spinal cord injury (SCI), which presents as loss of spinal cord function caudal to the level of the injury, with flaccid paralysis, anesthesia, absent bowel, and bladder control, and loss of reflex activity.
Does spinal shock go away?
Spinal shock usually lasts for days or weeks after spinal cord injury and the average duration is 4 to 12 weeks.
What type of shock is spinal shock?
Neurogenic shock is a subtype of distributive shock. It is often a side effect of a spine injury. While any type of shock needs swift medical attention, neurogenic shock should be treated as quickly as possible. Spine injuries are very serious and need to be treated right away.
What is the treatment for spinal shock?
Spinal Shock Treatment As a temporary outcome of spinal cord injury, spinal shock should resolve on its own. Once swelling of the spinal cord starts to die down, blood flow should be restored and individuals may experience a gradual return of reflexes, sensation, and motor control below their level of injury.
How can you treat shock?
Seek emergency medical care Lay the person down and elevate the legs and feet slightly, unless you think this may cause pain or further injury. Keep the person still and don’t move him or her unless necessary. Begin CPR if the person shows no signs of life, such as not breathing, coughing or moving.
What is the difference between spinal shock and neurogenic shock?
With spinal shock, your muscles are limp and you don’t have your reflexes after a spinal cord injury. If you have neurogenic shock, you have a slow heart rhythm. If you have hypovolemic shock, you have a fast heart rhythm.
How do you recover from a spinal shock?
The early stages of recovery involve hospital care and sometimes surgery. People with spinal cord injuries are at greatest risk within the first year of the injury. As a result, this first year will involve regular checkups. It is possible for some people to recover some function up to 18 months after the injury.
How do you test for spinal shock?
Diagnostic tests for spinal cord injuries may include a CT scan, MRI or X-ray These tests will help the doctors get a better look at abnormalities within the spinal cord. Your doctor will be able to see exactly where the spinal cord injury has occurred.
What are the symptoms of shock?
Signs and symptoms of shock vary depending on circumstances and may include:
- Cool, clammy skin.
- Pale or ashen skin.
- Bluish tinge to lips or fingernails (or gray in the case of dark complexions)
- Rapid pulse.
- Rapid breathing.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Enlarged pupils.
- Weakness or fatigue.
What are shock symptoms?
Shock facts The main symptom of shock is low blood pressure. Other symptoms include rapid, shallow breathing; cold, clammy skin; rapid, weak pulse; dizziness, fainting, or weakness.
What is Spinal shock?
Spinal shock is to spinal cord injuries as fevers are to infections. Spinal shock is merely a symptom of an underlying problem, not a disease itself. Spinal shock is not typically dangerous, and other symptoms of SCI are far more likely to cause serious, lasting physiological issues.
How long does spinal shock last after an accident?
How Long Does Spinal Shock Last? Spinal shock is a short-lived phenomenon, and can be divided into specific, predictable stages. It can start roughly 30 minutes after an injury, and last six weeks (though spinal shock duration can vary from this in some cases).
What causes neurogenic shock in spinal cord injury (SCI)?
In spinal cord injuries above T6, neurogenic shock may occur, from the loss of autonomic innervation from the brain. Parasympathetic is preserved but the synergy between sympathetic and parasympathetic system is lost in cervical and high thoracic SCI lesions.
What is the four-phase model of spinal shock?
Ditunno et al. proposed a four-phase model for spinal shock in 2004 as follows: Phase 1 is characterized by a complete loss—or weakening—of all reflexes below the SCI. This phase lasts for a day.
