[Spinal cord injury (SCI) - Aspects of intensive medical care]

With 2000 new cases/year in Germany spinal cord injury (SCI) is quantitatively less important for intensive care medicine than, e.g., sepsis. But, due to the consequences for the patient, the intricacy of treatment and the enormous costs, it is a significant clinical picture. Outside of specialized centers, routine experience with SCI is largely lacking, particularly in cases of tetraplegia. Dependent on the level of the paralysis, complications in the acute situation, the hospitalization and the rehabilitation are common and need intensive medical care. Lifelong mechanical ventilation is needed in some cases of cervical SCI, for which experience has since grown. New therapeutic options have become implemented (e.g., electrophrenic/diaphragm pacing), have a need to be examined, and extend lifespan in cases of SCI. As a result more patients have a chance for rehabilitation today than in previous decades."