Damage control of multiple injuries headed by cervical spinal cord injury.
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.
Liu
Si-hai
SH
Department of Hand Surgery, Jiangxi Hospital of Chinese People's Armed Police Forces, Nanchang 330030, China.
Wang
Ai-min
AM
Du
Quan-yin
QY
Zhao
Yu-feng
YF
Wang
Zi-ming
ZM
Guo
Qing-shan
QS
Shen
Yue
Y
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*