Trauma raquimedular cervical, manejo y evaluación clínica de las complicaciones.

Introduction: Many patients who present at the hospital with cervical spinal cord injury are initially treated in different ways and may have complications leading to death. It is therefore important to document them and disseminate them among surgeons so that they consider treatment alternatives and prevent complications. Material and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive retrospective study conducted from January to August 2005; case series, non-probabilistic sample. Cases were identified from the spine surgery service records by means of their clinical and radiographic files. Results: A total of 20 patients were included; with a 3:1 female-to-male ratio, mean age 39.3 years, with an ASIA motor deficit of 29.5, sensory deficit of 51, seen previously at a mean of 1.7 hospitals, and a mean injury-to-surgery time of 34 hours. Three received proper neuroprotective management, 15 patients had a mean spinal canal invasion of 42.6 %, four underwent corpectomy, two were circumferential, and 13 underwent diskectomy. Eight pneumonias, 4 STDA, one CSF fistula, and 2 deaths were reported. Conclusions: The paper provides relevant clinical evidence of patients with acute spinal cord injury. The ASIA was available for all of them; they received poor neuroprotective management, and underwent late surgery due to referral. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]