Acute spinal cord injury

Acute spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating event with high mortality and, among survivors, a high degree of morbidity due to both motor and sensory deficits. The damage that occurs with a SCI is recognized to be pathophysiologically biphasic: the initial insult to neural tissue can be followed by a secondary process of progressive ischemia that may worsen the severity of dysfunction. The extent of this secondary insult is potentially modifiable, and a variety of interventions have been studied in an attempt to improve motor and sensory outcomes. What follows is a brief review of some such procedural and pharmacologic interventions, including early decompressive surgery, use of methylprednisolone, and blood pressure and respiratory management, which have been proposed to improve outcomes after SCI.