title: Damage control of multiple injuries headed by cervical spinal cord injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the strategy of damage control in clinical treatment of multiple injuries headed by cervical spinal cord injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis was performed in 32 patients. Cervical fractures associated with tetraplegia occurred in 18 patients, traumatic intervertebral disk hernia associated with tetraplegia in 2 patients, and cervical fractures and dislocation associated with tetraplegia in 12 patients. Seventeen cases were combined with craniocerebral injury, 7 combined with pulmonary contusion, multi-fractures of rib or hemopneumothorax, 2 combined with pelvic fracture and other 8 combined with fracture of limbs. The neural function was assessed by the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-one patients were followed up for an average of 14 months. Of them, 10 got complete recovery, 13 obtained improvement of more than one ASIA grade, 8 did not improve, and 1 died.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For the emergency treatment of multiple injuries headed by cervical spinal cord injury, the damage control strategy is the principle to follow. The final operations are preferably performed within 5 to 10 days after injury so as to raise the successful rate of remedy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand Surgery, Jiangxi Hospital of Chinese People's Armed Police Forces, Nanchang 330030, China.
authors.forename: Si-hai
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ai-min
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Quan-yin
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Yu-feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Zi-ming
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qing-shan
authors.initials: QS
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D011782:Quadriplegia; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000601:surgery*