Lumbar spinal cord shock

[tazman2005]

I have a pt 34 yr old female that has spinal cord compression due to spinal fracture & disk frags in her lumbar spine her cervical spine is free of injury. Please inform if I am wrong I have complications and problems associated with spinal cord shock as hypotension, bradycardia which she is I also listed constipation, DVT, pain and contractures, and altered skin integrity and also limited mobility in the lower extremities. what do you think?

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

The complications of a spinal injury are:

• paralysis
  
• death
  
• autonomic dysreflexia
  
• spinal shock
  
• neurogenic shock

The physical symptoms associated with a spinal injury include:

• spinal cord damage at the level of the injury as located by neurological assessment
  
• respiratory and aspiration problems
  
• limited movement and activity that cause pain
  
• open wounds from the injury
  
• pain
  
• loss of sensation below the level of the spinal injury

These patient usually require some help with coping and anxiety or body image adjustment and long term rehabilitation. They need serious discharge planning for rehab and support services following discharge.

deformity as a result of the spinal injury.

Your nursing diagnoses/problems should be based upon her symptoms. What do you have as her nursing diagnoses/problems for her care plan?