Traumatic cervical cord injury in the neurosurgical emergency: Treatment consensus and problems

Abstract

Traumatic cervical cord injury may both severely compromise the functionality of the limbs and trunk and cause severe dysfunctions in respiration or urination, which may sometimes result in a fatal condition associated with the vertebral artery injury. Although the ideal treatment should be provided without delay, the appropriate management with or without surgical intervention is not always easily determined in a neurosurgical emergency. Health care providers, including physicians, nurses, and all medical co-workers, must be aware that decision making in a neurosurgical emergency can have a significant influence on the prognosis of patients. Therefore, it is crucial that these caregivers collaborate on the treatment consensus and problems.