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Penetrating spinal cord injuries with retained canal fragments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 May 2015

David T. Williams
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, Calif.
Danny L. Chang
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, Calif.
Matthieu P. DeClerck
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, Calif.

Extract

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Case 1: A previously healthy 15-year-old boy was brought by paramedics to the emergency department (ED) after suffering multiple penetrating gunshot wounds (GSWs) to the lower extremities and a single entry to the left suprascapular region. Vital signs were within normal limits upon presentation.

Case 2: A previously healthy 19-year-old man was brought by paramedics to the ED after suffering multiple stab wounds to the back. The patient was hypoxic and in severe respiratory distress upon arrival. A left thoracostomy tube was placed. Clinically the patient improved and vital signs returned to normal.

Type
Knowledge Applied to Practice Application des connaissances à la pratique
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians 2009

References

1.National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC). Spinal cord injury: facts and figures at a glance. Birmingham (AL): University of Alabama at Birmingham, National Spinal Cord Injury Center; 2006.Google Scholar
2.Waters, RL, Sie, IH. Spinal cord injuries from gunshot wounds to the spine. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2003;408:120–5.Google Scholar
3.Shahlaie, K, Chang, DJ, Anderson, JT. Nonmissile penetrating spinal injury. Case report and a review of the literature. J Neurosurg Spine 2006;4:400–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar