Essentials of Spinal Cord Medicine

by Sunil Sabharwal MD

Overview

"From the first to the last page, this book is so full of information that as a person working in the world of spinal cord injury, I found myself in an unfamiliar situation. Never had I read a book related to my profession that I didnít have trouble putting down. Iím not saying that such books are boring by any means; however, they are not the captivating fictional reads that keep people up late on work nights thinking 'just one more chapter.' Essentials of Spinal Cord Medicine was that type of book for me!... Overall, I thought this book was nothing short of fantastic... it was so full of information that makes me feel more confident as a technologist, and more compassionate as a human. I would highly recommend this for any practitioner working in the field where they may encounter a person with spinal cord injury." -- Donna Jacobs, R. EEG T., CNIM, The Neurodiagnostic Journal

This compact text is a practical, concise guide for clinicians involved in the care of patients with spinal cord injuries and disorders. It covers a comprehensive and diverse list of topics encompassing the principles and practice of spinal cord injury care, including basic science fundamentals, traumatic spinal cord injury, non-traumatic myelopathies, physical function and rehabilitation, medical consequences and complications of spinal cord injury, psychosocial and quality of life issues, and systems-based practice.

Chapters are consistently formatted for ease of use and are organized under the broad headings of general principles, clinical considerations, and knowledge gaps and emerging concepts, and conclude with a curated list of suggested readings. Within these categories, specifics on underlying pathophysiology and etiology, assessment (examination, testing, differential diagnosis, prognosis, and risk factors) and management (non-pharmacological, medications, surgical procedures, follow-up and monitoring, primary and secondary prevention, and complications), and recent clinical advances and promising research are easily accessed. The book also addresses such quality of life issues as psychological adaptation, sexuality and fertility, vocational training, driving, and exercise, and includes information about systems of care and patient safety as well as ethical considerations. The guide is peppered with useful tables that highlight and reinforce key material. Additionally, ìPractice Pearlsî in selected chapters enhance the guide as a handy go-to reference for clinicians and trainees in multiple disciplines who care for people with spinal cord injuries and disorders.

Key Features:

• A concise, practical manual designed for rapid access to key information on a broad range of topics integral to the practice of spinal cord medicine
• Covers both traumatic spinal cord injury and non-traumatic disorders and their evaluation, management, medical complications, functional rehabilitation, and quality of life concerns
• Packed with useful tables to highlight and reinforce key material
• Formatted consistently with short, reader-friendly paragraphs and clarifying sub-titles

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781617050756
Publisher:	Springer Publishing Company
Publication date:	12/10/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	128
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Sunil Sabharwal, MD, MD, Chief of Spinal Cord Injury, VA Boston Healthcare System, Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School

Table of Contents

Section I: Basic Science Fundamentals
1. Applied Anatomy and Physiology of the Spinal Cord
2. Pathophysiology of Spinal Cord Injury
3. Research in Neuroprotection, Regeneration, and Repair of the Injured Spinal Cord
Section II: Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury
4. Epidemiology of SCI
5. Prevention of SCI
6. Pre-hospital Care
7. Imaging the Injured Spine and Spinal Cord
8. Early Hospital Care For SCI: Medical, Surgical&Rehabilitation
9. Spinal Orthoses
10. Neurological assessment and classification of SCI
11. SCI in Children: Special Considerations
Section III: Non-traumatic Myelopathies
12. Non-Traumatic Myelopathies: Overview and Approach
13. Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy
14. Non-Traumatic Cauda Equina Syndrome
15. Tumors of the spine and spinal cord
16. Vascular Myelopathy ñ Spinal Cord Infarction
17. Spinal Cord Hemorrhage and Spinal Arteriovenous Malformations
18. Multiple Sclerosis
19. Spinal Arachnoiditis
20. Infections of the spine and spinal cord
21. Nutritional, toxic and environmental myelopathies
22. Spina Bifida/ Myelomeningocele
23. Chiari Malformation and Developmental Syingomyelia
24. Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia
25. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/ Motor Neuron Disease
Section IV: Physical Function and Rehabilitation
26. Functional Outcomes following SCI
27. Physical Rehabilitation Activities and Interventions
28. Upper Extremity Function in Tetraplegia
29. Wheelchair Prescription and Wheeled Mobility
30. Walking after SCI
Section V: Medical Consequences and Complications of SCI
31. An overview of medical consequences and complications of SCI
32. Respiratory consequences: Overview
i. Pneumonia
ii. Ventilatory impairment
iii. Sleep-disordered breathing
33. Cardiovascular and autonomic consequences: Overview
i. Bradycardia
ii. Orthostatic hypotension
iii. Autonomic dysreflexia
iv. Ischemic heart disease
v. Peripheral vascular disease
vi. Impaired Thermoregulation
34. Genitourinary consequences: Overview
i. Neurogenic Bladder
ii. Urinary Tract Infections
iii. Urinary Stones
35. Sexual Function and Reproductive Health
36. Gastrointestinal consequences: Overview
i. Neurogenic Bowel
37. Pressure ulcers
38. Neurological and musculoskeletal consequences: Overview
i. Spasticity
ii. Neurological decline after SCI
iii. Spinal cord injury-related pain
iv. Heterotopic ossification
39. Metabolic and endocrine issues: Overview
i. Energy consumption and body composition after SCI
ii. Calcium metabolism and osteoporosis
40. Aging with a spinal cord injury
Section VI: Psychosocial issues and life participation after SCI
41. Psychological considerations following SCI
42. Socioeconomic consequences and quality of life
43. Exercise and sports after SCI
44. Employment after SCI
45. Driving and Transportation Access after SCI
Section VII: Systems Based Practice
46. Systems of care for SCI
47. Patient Safety in SCI care
48. Ethical issues in SCI practice

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Daun Chung, DO (Shirley Ryan AbilityLab)
Description: A great resource for both physicians who specialize in spinal cord injury and those who do not, this book provides a clear overview of the various topics in spinal cord medicine without getting into too much detail. The references at the end of each chapter enable readers to continue with their education.
Purpose: The purpose is to provide relevant information in this area in a format that is easy to read and follow. Spinal cord medicine is a rapidly expanding field with much new research and information. This book presents this information in a clear and succinct way.
Audience: According to the author, this book is written for physicians who specialize in spinal cord medicine as well as those who may encounter patients with spinal cord injury in their practices (physiatrists, neurologists, primary care physicians, internists, and those in other medical and surgical subspecialties), fellows, residents, medical students, as well as members of the various disciplines in rehabilitation. The author is a well-known and respected physiatrist who specializes in spinal cord medicine.
Features: The book covers everything from basic anatomy and pathophysiology of the spine and spinal cord and their clinical relevance to various aspects of traumatic and nontraumatic spinal cord injury. The section on traumatic spinal cord injury covers prevention to assessment and management. The section on nontraumatic spinal cord injury covers the various myelopathies as well as commonly encountered neuromuscular conditions. The book also covers the physical function and rehabilitation of patients with spinal cord injury, the various medical complications that patients with spinal cord injuries could face, and psychosocial issues and life participation after spinal cord injury. What's also unique about the book is the section on systems-based practice that discusses systems of care, ethical issues, and patient safety. The book does a great job of providing the information in a clear and succinct way and the chapters are easy to read. The explanations of the traumatic and nontraumatic spinal cord injuries as well as the medical complications associated with them are areas that stand out. Chapters include useful tables and references as well as occasional "Practice Pearls" that focus on important key principles. There are no illustrations or drawings, which might be useful for certain topics, such as bowel and bladder dysfunction.
Assessment: This is a useful book for those wishing to learn more about spinal cord medicine. While it doesn't include every detail, it does a great job of providing information on the various topics in a clear and concise way. This would be a great resource for clinicians, particularly residents and fellows in an academic setting. I would recommend it to my colleagues interested in learning more about spinal cord medicine.

Doody's Review Service