Spinal Cord Injury Management on the Front Line: ABCs of Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Based on American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons Guidelines and Common Sense.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) affects approximately 54 per 1 million people annually in the United States. Treatment strategies for this patient population focus on initial stabilization and early intervention. The cornerstones of early management are clinical assessment, characterization of the injury, medical optimization, and definitive surgical treatment, including surgical stabilization and/or decompression. This article discusses the important strategies in caring for patients with SCI that are supported with significant literature.