title: Emergency neurological life support: spinal cord compression (SCC).
abstract: Acute spinal cord compression (SCC) is the most serious of the diseases of the cord and should be accorded special attention in neurocritical care. Patients with SCC have a combination of motor and sensory dysfunction that has a distribution referable to one, or a few contiguous, spinal levels. Bowel and bladder dysfunction and neck or back pain are usually part of the clinical presentation but are not uniformly present. Because interventions are time-sensitive, the recognition and treatment of SCC was chosen as an ENLS protocol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA. kophelan@med.miami.edu
authors.forename: Kristine H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: O'Phelan
authors.forename: E Bradshaw
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Bunney
authors.forename: Scott D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Weingart
authors.forename: Wade S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000379:methods; D020802:Epidural Abscess / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents