Spinal Cord Injury Medicine. 5. Long-Term Medical Issues and Health Maintenance
Abstract
Chiodo AE, Scelza WM, Kirshblum SC, Wuermser LA, Ho CH, Priebe MM. Spinal cord injury medicine. 5. Long-term medical issues and health maintenance.
This self-directed learning module highlights long-term care issues in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). It is part of the study guide on SCI in the Self-Directed Physiatric Education Program for practitioners and trainees in physical medicine and rehabilitation. The most common secondary medical complications include pressure ulcers, pneumonia, and genitourinary issues. Health care maintenance is important to prevent medical complications, for general health as well as for issues specific to SCI. Women with SCI have gender-specific issues regarding amenorrhea, sexuality, fertility, and menopause. Options exist to assist disabled men with sexuality and fertility complications. Pain is a common complication after SCI. Many new areas of research in the field of SCI are discussed.
Overall Article Objective
To discuss long-term care issues in patients with spinal cord injury, including health maintenance, secondary conditions, women’s health, sexual function, pain, and spinal cord regeneration and recovery.
aDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI
bDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Carolinas Rehabilitation, Charlotte, NC
cSpinal Cord Injury Services, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, West Orange, NJ
dDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Medicine and Dentistry–New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ
eDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
fand Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH.
Correspondence to Anthony E. Chiodo, MD, Dept of PM&R, Univ of Michigan Hospital, 325 E Eisenhower, Ann Arbor, MI
No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the author(s) or upon any organization with which the author(s) is/are associated.
ABSTRACT