Occult spinal cord injury in traumatized children
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Published on: January 5, 2015
1Accident and Emergency Unit, Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital, UK.
Insights
Severe spinal cord injury without radiological abnormality (SCIWORA) can occur in children, even without physical signs. Standard adult spinal immobilization protocols are unsuitable for children, necessitating full immobilization for unconscious children until neurological assessment.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Traumatology
- Neurology
- Radiology
Background:
- Spinal cord injury without radiological abnormality (SCIWORA) is a recognized condition.
- Severe neurological deficits can occur in children with SCIWORA.
- This condition may present without apparent physical or radiological indicators.
Abstract:
The existence of spinal cord injury without radiological abnormality (SCIWORA) has been recognized for some years. Two cases of SCIWORA in children are presented which highlight the possibility of severe spinal cord injury without any physical or radiological signs. The injury may occur at any level. It is recommended that normal procedures used for spinal immobilization in adults are inappropriate in the case of children and all unconscious children should be treated with full spinal immobilization until clinical assessment of neurological function is possible.
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