Retrospective analysis. Sepsis, one of the most frequent and life-threatening complications on intensive care units (ICUs), is associated with a need for mechanical ventilation (MV) as well as adverse respiratory outcomes in hospitalized individuals. However, it has poorly been investigated in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI); a population at high risk for pulmonary and infectious complications. Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital. Over a 5-year period, 182 individuals with SCI requiring MV during their ICU stay were analyzed. Data assessment included demographics, medical characteristics, focus and causative pathogen of sepsis, length of stay, weaning outcomes, and mortality. Sepsis was recorded in 28 patients (15%), containing a subgroup of individuals suffering from infectious SCI and co-occurring primary sepsis with Staphylococcus aureus as the predominant microorganism. In most individuals, sepsis was found as secondary complication, which was associated with pulmonary foci, Gram-negative bacteria, and high mortality. More than 80% of individuals with secondary sepsis required induction of MV due to respiratory failure. Furthermore, respiratory failure was found to be independent of sepsis focus, spectrum of causative pathogens, SCI etiology, or severity of injury. Subsequent weaning from the respirator was prolonged in more than 90% with a high proportion of weaning failure. Sepsis predominantly occurs as a secondary complication after SCI and is associated with detrimental outcomes. Although the lung is frequently affected as a failing organ, not all sepsis foci are pulmonary. Awareness of both actual sepsis focus and causative pathogen is central to initiate an adequate sepsis treatment.

/pdf/sepsis-in-mechanically-ventilated-patients-with-spinal-cord-9l6tzk2lx8.pdf

Sepsis in mechanically ventilated patients with spinal cord injury: a retrospective analysis.

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.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1742-6723.13525

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

Vital sign differences between septic patients with tetraplegia and paraplegia

Introduction. Fever is considered one of the first symptoms registered in hospitalized patients, becoming an important marker of disease. The present review sought to collect evidence on fever and its importance in the different clinical scenarios that occur in neurological patients, since in recent years it has been possible to better understand the role of the central nervous system within the thermoregulation. Methodology. A literature search was carried out in databases such as Pubmed, Ovid, Epistemonikos, Scielo and Google Scholar during the years 2009 to 2019 in Spanish and English languages, on fever and implications in neurological patients, using keywords such as fever, sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio, diseases of the nervous system, neurology, encephalitis, neuritis and trauma of the nervous system. Results. A total of 374 articles were found, of which 48 articles met the inclusion criteria, for the construction of this review article. Textbooks, as well as meta-analyzes, systematic reviews, scoping reviews, and review articles were included. They were analyzed and subdivided into 8 sections with common themes for their study. Conclusions. In early stages of ischemic or hemorrhagic CVD, fever behaves as a systemic response secondary to the underlying injury, and it is crucial to correct it early. At the same time, in CNS trauma, fever in the first 72 hours is identified as a poor prognostic marker.

Fiebre y sus implicaciones en el diagnóstico del paciente neurológico, revisión narrativa de la literatura

Environmental heat stress can negatively impact health, work capacity, and athletic performance and potentially to lead to life-threatening consequences if not mitigated. With the upcoming Toyko Olympic games to be held during anticipated warm ambient temperatures (up to 29°C), and with spectators potentially spending long durations of time outdoors, certain populations of persons with impaired thermoregulatory capacity will be at higher risk of heat-related illness from passive heat stress. Persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) are one of these groups as a result of a decentralized sympathetic nervous system, which leaves them with impairment in convective and evaporative cooling via vasodilation and sweating, respectively. This review summarizes (1) thermoregulatory physiological responses of persons with SCI under passive heat stress: the effect of level and completeness of injury; (2) the impact of passive heat stress on quality of life (QOL), outdoor participation, behavioral thermoregulation, and cognition; (3) recommendations and education for clinicians providing health care for persons with SCI; and (4) suggestions of future directions for exploring the gaps in the literature on passive heat stress in persons with SCI. This article aims to equip consumers with SCI and health-care professionals with the most up-to-date knowledge on passive heat stress responses in persons with SCI, so that their attendance at the Olympic games can be done with maximal safety and enjoyment.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/23328940.2019.1631730

Impact of passive heat stress on persons with spinal cord injury: Implications for Olympic spectators.

Background: Pneumonia and septicemia have the greatest impact on reduced life expectancy in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). Fever is often the first presenting symptom of infection or inflammation. Thermoregulatory dysfunction in persons with SCI may preclude a typical febrile response to infection or inflammation and thus delay diagnostic workup. Objective: To determine the core temperature of persons with SCI in the setting of infection or inflammation and the frequency with which it meets criteria for the CDC definition of fever (>100.4°F). Methods: Retrospective review of hospitalized SCI patients over 5 years with a diagnosis of infection or inflammation (DI), defined by serum leukocytosis. In this study, 458 persons with paraplegia (PP) and 483 persons with tetraplegia (TP) had 4,191 DI episodes. Aural temperatures (Tau) on the day of DI, 7 days prior, and 14 days afterwards were abstracted from medical records. Main outcome measures were average Tau at DI, frequency of temperatures >100.4°F at DI, and average baseline temperatures before and after DI. Results: Average Tau at DI was 98.2°F (±1.5) and 98.2°F (±1.4) in the TP and PP groups, respectively, with only 11.6% to 14% of DI resulting in Tau >100.4°F. Baseline temperatures ranged from 97.9°F (±0.7) to 98.0°F (±0.8). Conclusion: SCI persons with leukocytosis infrequently mount a fever as defined by the CDC, and baseline temperatures were subnormal ( 100.4°F is not a sensitive predictor of infection or inflammation in persons with SCI. Clinicians should be vigilant for alternative symptoms of infection and inflammation in these patients, so diagnostic workup is not delayed.

/pdf/does-the-cdc-definition-of-fever-accurately-predict-39pu9yq2rq.pdf

Does the CDC Definition of Fever Accurately Predict Inflammation and Infection in Persons With SCI

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Does the CDC Definition of Fever Accurately Predict Inflammation and Infection in Persons With SCI