Measuring Spinal Cord Injury

This book describes validated outcome measures for the international Spinal Cord Injury population. Based on rigorous systematic reviews of ca. 80,000 scientific articles, the authors present assessment tools for various clinical uses in the health sciences, following parameters of validity, reliability, and responsiveness. It is important for the development of clinical practice and research that practical and appropriate measures become universally accepted; this would allow comparisons and meta- analysis of high-quality randomized controlled trials of people with this increasingly common injury. This book emphasizes the need for consensus among researchers as to which tools must be studied in depth or adapted to other national contexts, or which measurement instruments should be standardized in order to develop universal norms and standards for the performance of people with Spinal Cord Injury. It offers a valuable practical guide for clinicians, rehabilitation professionals and nurses, but will also help researchers to gain more confidence in using valid and reliable assessment tools for comparable clinical trials.

This comprehensive, up-to-date guide to the rehabilitation care of persons with spinal cord injuries and disorders draws on the ever-expanding scientific and clinical evidence base to provide clinicians with all the knowledge needed in order to make optimal management decisions during the acute, subacute, and chronic phases. A wealth of information is presented on the diverse medical consequences and complications encountered in these patients and on the appropriate rehabilitative measures in each circumstance. The coverage encompasses all forms of spinal cord injury and all affected organ systems. Readers will also find chapters on the basics of functional anatomy, neurological classification and evaluation, injuries specifically in children and the elderly, and psychological issues. The book will be an invaluable aid to assessment and medical care for physicians and other professional personnel in multiple specialties, including physiatrists, neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, internists, critical care physicians, urologists, neurologists, psychologists, and social workers.

In the course of evaluating the patient with spinal disease, a myriad of measurements need to be performed before determining the diagnosis and the severity of the disease process. This text explicitly outlines the measurement of the spine from a clinical, laboratory, and radiographic approach. A detailed description of the actual technique of measurement and the clinical implication are presented with accompanying illustrations. This amalgamation of measurement tools for the spine is a beneficial reference for a wide spectrum of healthcare providers: students, nurses, residents, fellows, and established surgeons. In addition to its detailed illustrated presentation, each measurement technique has been graded for scientific and clinical utility with a score that specifically grades: Interobserver reliability Intraobserver reliability Universality Disease specificity Ease of application Simplicity Patient tolerability Expense The detail presented in this text will not only serve as a reference, but will also allow the reader to accurately reproduce measurement techniques, thus enhancing inter-physician communication, research of the spine, and improvement of patient care.

Spinal Cord Injuries: Psychological, Social, and Vocational Adjustment focuses on the process of adjustment to spinal cord injuries, including rehabilitation, medical intervention, and examination of the daily life of persons with this kind of injury. The book first discusses the consequences of spinal cord injury and rehabilitation as a behavior change process, including physical symptoms of spinal cord injury; rehabilitation process and treatment systems; approach to the concept of adjustment; and suicide and self-neglect. The manuscript also deals with the psychological factors in the adjustment to spinal cord injury. Topics include emotional reactions at onset of spinal cord injury; personality characteristics of persons with spinal cord injury; and factors associated with adjustment to spinal cord injury. The publication takes a look at the social factors in the adjustment to spinal cord injury, as well as the social implications of disability, family relationships, recreation, aging, and task of socialization. The book also reviews the variables related with productivity following spinal cord injury and sexuality and spinal cord injury. The effect of the treatment environment on adjustment to spinal cord injury and therapeutics techniques are discussed. The manuscript is a dependable reference for readers interested in the psychological, social, and productivity implications of spinal cord injuries.

This book is the practical analysis of the data collected from the federally sponsored model systems of SCI care over the last twenty years. Written by leading SCI health professionals, the book reviews the collaborative studies conducted by the model systems and interprets the findings. Specific chapters deal with the management of possible complications and secondary diagnoses associated with SCI, supplying the health professional with current information to make outcome-based clinical decisions.

From a hospital admittance to discharge to outpatient rehabilitation, Spinal Cord Injuries addresses the wide spectrum of rehabilitation interventions and administrative and clinical issues specific to patients with spinal cord injuries. Comprehensive coverage includes costs, life expectancies, acute care, respiratory care, documentation, goal setting, clinical treatment, complications, and activities of daily living associated with spinal cord patients. In addition to physical therapy interventions and family education components, this resource includes content on incidence, etiology, diagnosis, and clinical features of spinal cord injury. Case Studies with clinical application thinking exercises help you apply knowledge from the book to real life situations. Thoroughly referenced, evidence-based content provides the best evidence for treatment based on the most current research. Tables and boxes throughout each chapter organize and summarize important information for quick reference. Clinical Note boxes provide at-a-glance access to helpful tips. Over 500 clinical photos, line drawings, radiographs, and more bring important concepts to life. Highly respected experts in spinal cord injury rehabilitation, editors Sue Ann Sisto, Erica Druin, and Martha Sliwinski, provide authoritative guidance on the foundations and principles of practice for spinal cord injury. Companion DVD includes video clips of the techniques described throughout the book that demonstrate how to apply key concepts to practice.

One of the world’s leading authorities in spinal cord injury, and a participant in the Human Brain Project brings you an evidenced-based guide to the state-of-the-art in spinal cord rehabilitation. She has assembled an expert team of clinicians, each with expertise in the content areas they address. Their work encompasses all of the new scientific knowledge and technological advances practitioners need to know to determine the most effective rehabilitation interventions for each patient and to attain maximum restoration of function in individuals with SCI.

A Doody's Core Title 2012 The thoroughly revised Second Edition of this authoritative reference continues to define the standard of care for the field of spinal cord medicine. Encompassing all of the diseases and disorders that may a!ect the proper functioning of the spinal cord or spinal nerves, this comprehensive volume provides a state of the art review of the principles of care and best practices for restoring function and quality of life to patients with spinal cord injuries. Expert contributors from multiple disciplines cover topics ranging from acute medical and surgical management of specific problems to cutting-edge research, bladder, bowel and sexual dysfunction, neurologic and musculoskeletal issues, advanced rehabilitation techniques and technologies, functional outcomes, and psychosocial care. While comprehensive in scope, Spinal Cord Medicine offers practical guidance for physicians and other health care professionals involved in the management of individuals with SCI, multiple sclerosis, and other spinal cord disorders. The Second Edition has been completely updated to fully reflect current science and practice. Each section has been re-ordered to better present information and the Second Edition brings in many new authors and topics, more diagrams, illustrations, and tables to solidify concepts, and contains 18 entirely new chapters. Spinal Cord Medicine: Principles and Practice, Second Edition, reflects the breadth and depth of this multi-faceted specialty. Involving over 150 authors from more than 20 fields of medicine, it is a trusted reference for anyone who works with spinal cord patients and strives to deliver superior clinical care and improve outcomes.