Hindawi Publishing Corporation BioMed Research International Volume 2013, Article ID 168757, 12 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/168757 Review Article Respiratory Management in the Patient with Spinal Cord Injury Rita Galeiras Vázquez,1 Pedro Rascado Sedes,2 Mónica Mourelo Fariña,1 Antonio Montoto Marqués,3,4 and M. Elena Ferreiro Velasco3 1 Critical Care Unit, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruna,˜ CP. 15006, A Coruna,˜ Spain 2 Critical Care Unit, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, CP. 15702, Santiago de Compostela, Spain 3 Spinal Cord Injury Unit, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruna,˜ CP. 15006, A Coruna,˜ Spain 4 Department of Medicine, University of A Coruna,˜ CP. 15006, A Coruna,˜ Spain Correspondence should be addressed to Rita Galeiras Vazquez;´
[email protected] Received 30 April 2013; Revised 11 July 2013; Accepted 30 July 2013 Academic Editor: Boris Jung Copyright © 2013 Rita Galeiras Vazquez´ et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) often lead to impairment of the respiratory system and, consequently, restrictive respiratory changes. Paresis or paralysis of the respiratory muscles can lead to respiratory insufficiency, which is dependent on the level and completeness of the injury. Respiratory complications include hypoventilation, a reduction in surfactant production, mucus plugging, atelectasis, and pneumonia. Vital capacity (VC) is an indicator of overall pulmonary function; patients with severely impaired VC may require assisted ventilation. It is best to proceed with intubation under controlled circumstances rather than waiting until the condition becomes an emergency.