Traumatismo agudo de medula espinhal: revisão de literatura

Abstract

The acute spinal cord trauma is one of the affections most commonly found in the clinical pratice and must be treated as possible due to the great risk of originating permanent injury in the affected patients. Despite the urgency, the animals must be clinically evaluated as for the vital organs integrity and the possibility of unstable vertebral injury, requiring a lot of care when manipulated. Next, the neurological examinations (radiograph and myelograph) are used to locate and identify vertebral injuries and spinal medulla injuries, indicating the tratament that will be given (medical and/or surgical) and the affection prognostic. The recovery of patients that suffer from acute spinal cord trauma must be taken into consideration, for the nursing care is intensive and prolonged both in surgical and non-surgical patients. The owner has to be informed of the patient’s state, the treatment time expenditure, the cost and the possibility of not obtaining the desired recovery.