title: Spinal cord injury rehabilitation. 2. Medical complications.
abstract: This self-directed learning module highlights new advances in understanding medical complications of spinal cord injury through the lifespan. It is part of the chapter on spinal cord injury rehabilitation in the Self-Directed Physiatric Education Program for practitioners and trainees in physical medicine and rehabilitation. This article covers reasons for transferring patients to specialized spinal cord injury centers once they have been stabilized, and the management of common medical problems, including fever, autonomic dysreflexia, urinary tract infection, acute and chronic abdominal complications, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary complications, and heterotopic ossification. Formulation of an educational program for prevention of late complications is also discussed, including late renal complications, syringomyelia, myelomalacia, burns, pathologic fractures, pressure ulcers, and cardiovascular disease. New advances covered in this section include new information on old problems, and a discussion of exercise tolerance in persons with tetraplegia, the pathophysiology of late neurologic deterioration after spinal cord injury, and a view of the care of these patients across the lifespan.
authors.affiliation: New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center-Boston Medical Center, MA 02118, USA.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Bergman
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Yarkony
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Stiens
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education; D004066:Digestive System Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009999:Ossification, Heterotopic / Q000209:etiology; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000209:etiology