Serious 脊髓损伤 (SCI) can be life changing and traumatic—physically, 在情感上, 和心理上. 然而, a good team of health care providers can help patients adjust to new ways of accomplishing everyday activities and assist them in moving forward with their lives.
Although some spinal cold injuries can be due to birth defects. Tumors, degenerative disease, and aging, Chihyung Kevin Park, MD, an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 犹他健康大学的研究员, says most of his patients are victims of serious motor vehicle accidents, 枪伤, 暴力, 或者运动事故.
There are many changes to the body and emotions a person will experience after a SCI. 大发娱乐有一些：
心理健康
After the initial neurosurgery, mental health is the primary concern for these patients. 这是可以理解的, 患者陷入抑郁, 公园说, 哪一个是伴随着焦虑的, 失去动力, 消极的想法.
“当我第一次见到病人的时候, I tell them mental health is actually half of the battle, 因为对大多数病人来说, their life has been flipped upside down in a split second,朴槿惠说. “如果大发娱乐不控制心理健康, it is very difficult to move on to other aspects of physical recovery.”
Park and the team 犹他健康大学的研究员 set patients up with a psychologist right away. But that is only the beginning of helping patients adjust to post-injury life.
呼吸系统疾病
The higher the injury on the spinal cord, the greater the possibility for complications. 受伤 C3， C4和C5椎骨 can result in the loss of diaphragm function and may require a ventilator for breathing, 以及手部功能的丧失, 武器, 躯干, 和腿. 公园说 that patients with injuries to those vertebrae tend to get pneumonia because their coughs are so weak—meaning they cannot effectively remove the mucus and bacteria. Pneumonia is a leading cause of death for SCI patients.
“When I see a patient come in with a higher-level cervical injury, 这是我最关心的问题,朴槿惠说. “我问，‘你呼吸怎么样?“你咳嗽得怎么样？?“你是不是太累了？?’”
低血压
One of the main roles of the nervous system is to control blood flow. 当它不再有效地发挥作用时, low blood pressure becomes another concern for SCI patients. 据Park说, it may take three to four months for patients to get accustomed to having a lower blood pressure, especially if they had high blood pressure previously. 它会引起头晕和跌倒. Medications can help increase blood pressure, but these are not a permanent solution. Other advice is to move more and stay hydrated.
泌尿和肠道问题
Depending on where along the spinal cord the injury occurred, some patients may walk again. But many are tetraplegic or quadriplegic and will need to use a wheelchair. These patients often suffer other health consequences, most commonly bladder and/or bowel incontinence. Many patients lose the sensation of needing to urinate or have a bowel movement.
In the cases of urinary problems, patients must learn to use an 断断续续的导管. If their hand function has been impaired, then family members or caretakers must help. 公园说 they try to mimic what is natural—urinating every four to six hours but with the use of the catheter. In some cases, surgery is needed and an “indwelling” 弗利导管 is placed, which drains into an external bag.
肠道问题, 公园说 the team trains patients to have a bowel movement at the same time every day, which often means using a stool softener or laxative nightly. This helps prepare them for the day and minimize accidents, which is a dignity issue as well.
皮肤因缺乏血液循环而受损
皮肤是大发娱乐身体最大的器官. It is crucial to protecting us from bacteria, 保持水分平衡, and providing us with sensory information such as temperature and texture. The loss of nerve impulses can change our skin color and temperature and cause skin to become thinner, 干燥机, 而且更容易受伤.
公园说 there are concerns about patients not feeling skin injuries as well as a major concern with wounds worsening due to lack of movement and limited blood circulation. 后者是个大问题, costing millions of dollars in health care spending and resulting in reduced independence and potentially life-threatening infections.
Park advises clients to set a timer on their phone to remind them to shift positions or have caregivers move them as necessary. Pressure injuries due to sitting or lying in one position too long may first look like benign red spots but can turn into a serious issue. They may even start under the skin and not be apparent for some time. Lack of circulation can cause blood and lymph fluid to pool, 腿部和脚部积水, and result in other conditions such as deep vein thrombosis.
SCI护理的新进展
As serious as all the conditions related to SCI sound, new advances in SCI care have been made over the past two decades. 研究 has shown that self-management is linked to reduced secondary health complications and a better quality of life.
Park advises that working with your health care team long term can make a difference. “病人 can live to ages 65, 70, or 80 if they take care of themselves,朴槿惠说. “Our knowledge has increased, and we treat our 脊髓损伤 patients better. We continue to follow our patients until the end of life.”