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Advanced Trauma Life Support ATLS Student Course Manual 2018

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134<br />

CHAPTER 7 n Spine and Spinal Cord <strong>Trauma</strong><br />

n FIGURE 7-3 Key Myotomes. Myotomes are used<br />

to evaluate the level of motor function.<br />

Pitfall<br />

The sensory and motor<br />

examination is confounded<br />

by pain.<br />

A patient is able to observe<br />

the examination itself, which<br />

may alter the findings.<br />

A patient’s altered level<br />

of consciousness limits<br />

your ability to perform<br />

a defini-tive neurological<br />

examination.<br />

prevention<br />

• When necessary, repeat<br />

the exam multiple times.<br />

• Attempt to prevent or<br />

distract the patient from<br />

watching your clinical<br />

exam.<br />

• Always presume the<br />

presence of an injury,<br />

restrict movement<br />

of the spine while<br />

managing lifethreatening<br />

injuries,<br />

reassess, and perform<br />

radiographic evaluation<br />

as necessary.<br />

neurological improvement or deterioration on<br />

subsequent examinations.<br />

Neurogenic Shock versus Spinal Shock<br />

Neurogenic shock results in the loss of vasomotor tone<br />

and sympathetic innervation to the heart. Injury to the<br />

cervical or upper thoracic spinal cord (T6 and above)<br />

can cause impairment of the descending sympathetic<br />

pathways. The resultant loss of vasomotor tone causes<br />

vasodilation of visceral and peripheral blood vessels,<br />

pooling of blood, and, consequently, hypotension.<br />

Loss of sympathetic innervation to the heart can<br />

cause bradycardia or at least the inability to mount<br />

a tachycardic response to hypovolemia. However,<br />

when shock is present, it is still necessary to rule out<br />

other sources because hypovolemic (hemorrhagic)<br />

shock is the most common type of shock in trauma<br />

patients and can be present in addition to neurogenic<br />

shock. The physiologic effects of neurogenic shock<br />

are not reversed with fluid resuscitation alone, and<br />

n BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS

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