spinal shock (redirected from Spinal shock syndrome)

spinal shock,

a form of shock associated with acute injury to the spinal cord. Temporary suppression of reflexes controlled by segments below the level of injury. The period of shock may last from hours to months. See also shock.

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spinal shock,

n a reaction to a spinal cord injury in which the body's reflexes are lost, resulting in a limp paralysis below the point of injury. May last several hours.

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shock

a condition of acute peripheral circulatory failure due to derangement of circulatory control or loss of circulating fluid. It is marked by hypotension, coldness of the skin and tachycardia.

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allergic shock

see anaphylactic shock.

shock bodies

hyaline globules composed of fibrin degradation products which act as microthrombi and cause hemorrhage and necrosis.

burn shock

the loss and redistribution of fluid, electrolytes and plasma protein, increased blood viscosity and increased peripheral resistance that follow a severe burn contribute to shock.

cardiogenic shock

classically associated with acute myocardial infarction in humans; in animals may be caused by intrinsic congestive heart failure, cardiac depression caused by anesthetic overdosage or other drugs with negative inotropism, rarely, thromboembolism.

colloidoclastic shock

shock due to breakdown of the physical equilibrium of the body colloids. Thought to cause anaphylactic shock due to the absorption of the colloids into the bloodstream.

distributive shock

see vasogenic shock (below).

electric shock

see electrical injuries.

electroplectic shock

electric shock. See also electrical stunning.

endotoxic shock

caused by endotoxins, especially Escherichia coli. See also toxemic shock.

shock gut

animals in shock develop changes in the gut including congestion and hemorrhage into the lumen.

hypovolemic shock

shock due to reduced blood volume as a result of water deprivation, fluid loss due to diarrhea, vomiting, extensive burns, intestinal obstruction, whole blood loss.

insulin shock

a condition of circulatory insufficiency resulting from overdosage with insulin, which causes too sudden reduction of blood sugar. It is marked by tremor, weakness, convulsions and collapse.

irreversible shock

shock which has reached the stage where irreparable damage has been done to tissues, e.g. liver, kidneys and treatment will not salvage the patient although it might prolong life for a long time.

shock lung

animals in shock due to massive burns, septicemia, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), acute viral or bacterial pneumonias or trauma develop an acute respiratory distress syndrome. The pulmonary lesion is a nonspecific acute or subacute interstitial pneumonia.

nervous shock

a temporary cessation of function in nervous tissue caused by an acute insult such as trauma without the part having been directly or detectably damaged. The loss of function is only temporary, usually for a few minutes but it may last for several hours. There may be residual signs due to direct damage when the shock passes. Stunning by a lightning stroke is an example.

shock organs

those organs, specific to each animal species, which respond to allergens circulating in the blood.

septic shock

see toxemic shock.

spinal shock

flaccid paralysis up and down the body from the site of the spinal cord lesion. Accompanied by a fall in skin temperature, vasodilatation and sweating. Signs disappear within an hour or two. There may be residual signs due to physical injury to tissue.

toxic shock

see toxemic shock.

vasogenic shock, vasculogenic shock

shock exists because of the severe reduction in effective circulating blood volume caused by sequestration of blood and other fluids in the vascular system and their withdrawal from the circulating blood. Is the classical shock of traumatic injury, burns, uterine prolapse, extensive surgery.

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spinal shock

Critical care Neurogenic shock A clinical complex caused by trauma to the vertebral column and spinal cord, resulting in a transient–3-6 wk in duration–loss of reflex activity due to functional or anatomic interruption of the corticospinal tracts; SS is seen immediately after complete injury at the T6 level or above, and is accompanied by arreflexia, loss of sensation, flaccid paralysis below the level of the lesion, flaccid bladder with urine retention, and lax anal sphincter Obstetrics An idiopathic postpartum vasomotor collapse that follows spinal anesthesia, 2º to various stressants of delivery–eg, acute blood loss, electrolytic imbalance, adrenocortical insufficiency, pre-eclampsia, anesthetics, amniotic fluid embolism

Spinal shock

Arreflexia–complete 'failure' below lesion–eg, tetraplegia, paraplegia, overflow incontinence, paralytic ileus, gastric atony and depression of cremasteric reflex; arreflexia is followed several wks later by

Hyperreflexia–exaggeration of reflexes with flexor spasms and autonomic dysreflexia, bladder distention, diaphoresis, HTN, and bradycardia; certain reflexes–eg, anal 'wink', bulbocavernosus and cremasteric reflexes, full penile erection, reflex leg withdrawal and Babinski sign, are retained after complete spinal cord transection since these reflexes don't require higher levels of control