Cervical Spinal Cord Injury and the Need for Cardiovascular Intervention
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
PAPER Cervical Spinal Cord Injury and the Need for Cardiovascular Intervention John F. Bilello, MD; James W. Davis, MD; Mark A. Cunningham, MD; Tammi F. Groom, PA-C; Debbie Lemaster, BSN; Lawrence P. Sue, MD Hypothesis: The level of cervical spinal cord injury Results: Eighty-three patients met the criteria for CSCI (CSCI) can be used to predict the need for a cardiovas- and quadriplegia, 62 in the high (C1-C5) and 21 in the cular intervention. low (C6-C7) level. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in mean±SD age (38.2±17.8 vs Design: Retrospective review. Data included level of spi- 34.7±15.6 years; P=.43), mean±SD Injury Severity Score nal cord injury, Injury Severity Score, lowest heart rate, (35.7±17.5 vs 32.5±11.2; P=.44), mean±SD admission and systolic blood pressure in the first 24 hours and in- base deficit (−0.7±3.6 vs 0.7±2.7; P=.06), or mortality tensive care unit course. The level of CSCI was divided (12 [19%] of 62 patients vs 2 [10%] of 21 patients; P=.29). into high (cord level C1-C5) or low (cord level C6-C7). Neurogenic shock was present in 19 (31%) of the 62 pa- Neurogenic shock was defined as bradycardia with hy- tients with high CSCI and in 5 (24%) of the 21 patients potension. Statistical analysis was performed with the with low CSCI (P=.56). There was a marked difference t test and the 2 test. in the use of a cardiovascular intervention between those with a high and those with a low CSCI: 15 (24%) of 62 Setting: Level I trauma center. patients vs 1 (5%) of 21 patients (P=.02). Two patients with C1 through C5 spinal cord injuries required car- Patients: The patients studied were those with quad- diac pacemakers. riplegia who experienced a CSCI and were admitted to the hospital between December 1, 1993, and October 31, Conclusions: There was no significant difference in the 2001. frequency of neurogenic shock by injury level. Patients with a high CSCI (C1-C5) had a significantly greater re- Interventions: Pressors, chronotropic agents, and pace- quirement for a cardiovascular intervention compared makers. with patients with lower injuries (C6-C7). Main Outcome Measure: Use of a cardiovascular in- tervention in the presence of neurogenic shock. Arch Surg. 2003;138:1127-1129 ERVICAL SPINAL cord in- heart itself.4 Pharmacologic and electri- jury (CSCI) is associated cal interventions (ie, pacemakers) may be with dysfunction of the necessary in these patients if fluid resus- sympathetic nervous sys- citation alone cannot maintain adequate tem and cardiovascular tissue perfusion. Failure to adequately treat Cdeficits, including severe bradycardia, asys- neurogenic shock may result in further is- tole, and loss of peripheral vascular tone. chemic injury of an already compro- These effects have been replicated in ani- mised nervous system (secondary injury).4 mal studies.1-3 Direct myocardial injury and Aggressive treatment with fluids and pres- a decrease in contractility (dp/dt [ie, change sors, and appropriate invasive monitor- in pressure per change in time]) may also ing (arterial and central venous access), is contribute to hypotension.1,3 paramount.5 Patients with a CSCI may develop To our knowledge, no study has spe- neurogenic shock, characterized by brady- cifically examined whether the level of cardia and hypotension from decreased pe- CSCI can be used to determine which pa- From the Department of ripheral vascular resistance and cardiac tients are most susceptible to neurogenic Surgery, University Medical output. These changes are related to in- shock and the requirement for cardiovas- Center, University of California creased vagal tone, decreased sympa- cular interventions (CVIs), namely, the ad- San Francisco–Fresno Campus. thetic input, and possibly changes in the ministration of pressors, chronotropic (REPRINTED) ARCH SURG/ VOL 138, OCT 2003 WWW.ARCHSURG.COM 1127 ©2003 American Medical Association. All rights reserved. Downloaded From: https://jamanetwork.com/ on 09/30/2021 Results are expressed as mean±SD. Analysis was per- Relationship of CSCI Level to Age, ISS, formed by 2 test and paired t test. PϽ.05 was considered sta- Admission Base Deficit, and Mortality* tistically significant. CSCI Level RESULTS Cord Level Cord Level C1-C5 C6-C7 Variable (n = 62) (n = 21) P Value Eighty-three patients met the inclusion criteria for CSCI and quadriplegia during the study period, with 62 in the Age, y 38.2 ± 17.8 34.7 ± 15.6 .43 ISS 35.7 ± 17.5 32.5 ± 11.2 .44 high injury (C1-C5) category and 21 in the low injury Admission base deficit −0.7 ± 3.6 0.7 ± 2.7 .06 (C6-C7) category. There was no significant difference in Mortality, No. (%) 12 (19) 2 (10) .29 age, Injury Severity Score, admission base deficit, or mor- tality between the groups (Table). Abbreviations: CSCI, cervical spinal cord injury; ISS, Injury Severity Score. There was no significant difference in the presence *Data are given as mean ± SD unless otherwise indicated. of neurogenic shock between the C1 through C5 group and the C6 through C7 group (19 [31%] of 62 patients agents, and/or cardiac pacing. This study was per- vs 5 [24%] of 21 patients; P=.56). However, there was a formed to test the hypothesis that the level of CSCI can significant difference between the 2 groups in the need be used to predict the likelihood of requiring a CVI. for a CVI: 15 (24%) of the C1 through C5 group re- quired an intervention for neurogenic shock, whereas only METHODS 1 (5%) of the C6 through C7 group needed an interven- tion (P=.02). In addition, the only 2 patients requiring The records of quadriplegic patients who experienced a CSCI at permanent pacemakers were in the higher cervical level University Medical Center, a level I trauma center, between De- injury group. None of the patients with C6 through C7 cember 1, 1993, and October 31, 2001, were reviewed. Level of spinal cord injury, age, sex, Injury Severity Score,6 admission base injury required a pacemaker. deficit,7-9 mechanism (blunt vs penetrating), associated inju- Dobutamine was used in 2 patients. One patient was ries, hemorrhage, previous medical conditions, and in-hospital a 69-year-old woman with a history of congestive heart mortality were noted. The lowest heart rate and systolic blood failure, and the other was a 90-year-old man with a low pressure in the first 24 hours after injury and during the remain- cardiac index. Both patients met invasive criteria for ino- ing intensive care unit course were recorded. All resuscitations tropic support, and both also required a vasoconstric- followed Advanced Trauma Life Support guidelines.10 Initial hy- tive agent (dopamine or phenylephrine hydrochloride potension was treated with crystalloid, followed by packed red [Neo-Synephrine]). blood cells as appropriate and control of hemorrhage. Resusci- tation was guided by response to therapy and the end points of systolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg or higher, no further need COMMENT for transfusion, and correction of base deficit. Pressors and chro- notropic agents were used only when hypotension was refrac- Cervical spinal cord injury can cause significant changes tory to intravenous fluid administration, and were titrated to keep in pulse, blood pressure, cardiac output, and rhythm. the systolic blood pressure at 90 mm Hg or higher. All patients who began treatment with pressors and chronotropic agents un- Within seconds to minutes after injury, there is a sys- derwent placement of central venous and/or pulmonary artery temic pressor response with a widened pulse pressure seen catheters and invasive arterial monitoring. in animals and humans, resulting from short-term out- The level of CSCI was divided into 2 categories: high (cord flow of sympathetic activity and adrenal hormones. This level C1-C5) and low (cord level C6-C7). C5/C6 was chosen pressor response quickly abates, and is followed by neu- as the level of division between the 2 categories because of in- rogenic shock with bradycardia and hypotension.11,12 nervation of the phrenic nerve, which terminates at the C5 level. Preganglionic sympathetic nerve fibers exit the spinal cord Previous researchers11,12 have used this level as the line of de- at the first through fourth thoracic level. Parasympa- marcation because of the respiratory pathophysiological fea- thetic outflow, however, is carried by the vagus nerve, tures that may contribute to neurogenic shock. Bradycardia was which originates in the medulla. Therefore, a CSCI may defined as a heart rate of less than 50 beats/min. Hypotension was defined as a systolic blood pressure lower than 90 mm Hg. completely transect spinal cardiac and vasomotor sym- Neurogenic shock was defined as the presence of simulta- pathetic fibers from above while the parasympathetic fi- 11,12,16-18 neous bradycardia and hypotension. The use of pressors (dopam- bers remain intact. We chose C5/C6 as the bor- ine hydrochloride, dobutamine hydrochloride, epinephrine hy- der between high and low cervical injuries because phrenic drochloride, norepinephrine bitartrate, and phenylephrine nerve innervation terminates at C5. Piepmeier11 and hydrochloride), chronotropic agents (atropine sulfate), and car- Lehmann12 and colleagues invoke hypoxia as a culprit diac pacing was recorded. Use of 1 or more of these treatments in the exacerbation of bradycardia and cardiac arrest in constituted a CVI. Patients with a CSCI from blunt trauma were patients with cervical cord injuries. Piepmeier et al fur- 13 given intravenous methylprednisolone sodium succinate. Pa- ther explain that hypoxic patients with normal cervical tients with a CSCI who experienced penetrating trauma did not cord function will increase their heart rate with the sym- receive corticosteroids.14,15 The Injury Severity Score is an expression of anatomic in- pathetic outflow that normally accompanies hypoxic- jury developed for comparison of trauma care that correlates induced tachypnea (pulmonary inflation reflex).