Guidelines on the Management of Acute Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury in a General Hospital

The potential for spinal column/spinal cord injury [SCI] should be suspected in all cases of high velocity road traffic accidents.  Unguarded falls, particularly of elderly individuals, diving injuries, and rugby accidents all have a potential to result in significant neurological deficit.  Hyperextension injuries to the cervical spine, particularly in the elderly can result in significant neurological deficit without clear evidence of a bony injury.