COVID-19 and spinal cord injuries: The viewpoint from an emergency department resident with quadriplegia

Emerg Med Australas. 2020 Aug;32(4):692-693. doi: 10.1111/1742-6723.13525. Epub 2020 Apr 29.

Abstract

Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) present distinct physiological and social considerations for the emergency physician. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these considerations may generate unique challenges for emergency physicians managing patients with SCIs. Physiological disruptions may alter the way SCI patients present with COVID-19. The same disruptions can affect management of this vulnerable patient group, perhaps warranting early aggressive treatment. The medical picture will often be complicated by unique social characteristics. The reliance on caregivers for activities of daily living can, as an example, increase the human resource requirement of an ED. Considering the vulnerabilities and complexities of patients with SCI, the community should prioritise prevention of COVID-19 infections in this group. In the event that they do present to an ED, planning for and understanding their complexities will facilitate optimal management.

Keywords: coronavirus; emergency medicine; spinal cord injuries.

Publication types

  • Personal Narrative
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19
  • Coronavirus Infections / complications*
  • Coronavirus Infections / prevention & control
  • Emergency Service, Hospital*
  • Health Care Rationing
  • Humans
  • Internship and Residency*
  • Pandemics / prevention & control
  • Pneumonia, Viral / complications*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / prevention & control
  • Quadriplegia / complications*
  • Quadriplegia / virology
  • Social Isolation
  • Spinal Cord Injuries / complications*
  • Spinal Cord Injuries / virology