Acute care of the spinal cord injured.

In 1993, there were 583 new spinal cord injuries in Canada (Canadian Paraplegic Association, 1993). Seventy-five percent of those were males and sixty-seven percent were between the ages of 16 and 40. Motor vehicle accidents account for the highest percentage of injuries, while falls and sports are second and third respectively. The impact of this type of injury has many far reaching implications, not only on the individual and their family but also on society as a whole. These patients are surviving and living longer than before. Care of these patients has advanced considerably. Nurses caring for these patients must be experts in their field, having a solid understanding of the multiple system effects of traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) and their implications.