Early mobilization in complete spinal cord injury under conservative treatment in a developing country

Abstract

Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) management requires extended acute care and life-long chronic care. Aims: The present study was conducted to mobilize complete SCI patients early during conservative treatment and follow them up at the same time weekly for 6 weeks. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in a time span of 2 years in a tertiary care hospital of Eastern India. All SCI patients admitted in the hospital for the treatment were assessed clinicoradiologically for the level of lesion. Those complete SCI patients who did not recover within 3 weeks of conservative treatment were mobilized with orthosis and efforts were done to recover the activities of daily living (ADL). The effects of early mobilization were monitored and noted at weekly interval with serial radiographs for increasing vertebral collapse and displacement and neurologically up to 6 weeks in the hospital and monthly for a time span of 1 year. Results: Results clearly indicated that guarded mobilization with braces on does not further aggravate the deformity. Bed sores occurred in 8% of cervical cord injury (CCI) and 7% of D-L injury. Respiratory infections occurred in 8% of CCI and 5% of D-L injury. Urinary tract infection affected 12% of CCI and 10% of D-L injury, and the incidences were lower when compared to previous studies, and this may be attributed to early mobilization. Conclusions: Complete SCI patients may be discharged from the hospital within 6 weeks of sustaining an injury with added training for ADL to reduce the social burden in developing countries.

Keywords

• Developing country
• management
• spinal cord injury