Hemodynamic Management Following Acute Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

Hemodynamic Management Following Acute Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of various hemodynamic management strategies on functional neurologic outcomes and non-neurologic adverse events in the first 5 days following acute spinal cord injury (SCI). The hemodynamic management strategies assessed include targeting a mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) goal of 85-90 mmHg, targeting a spinal cord perfusion pressure (SCPP) goal of ≥65 mmHg, or targeting normal hemodynamics, which is a MAP goal of ≥65 mmHg.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Traumatic spinal cord injury

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with an injury from a trauma that penetrates the spinal cord (i.e., gunshot or knife wound resulting in cord transection)
• Preexisting neurologic or spinal cord injury
• Severe traumatic brain injury as measured by a best resuscitated Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of <8 at 24 hours following injury
• Presence of traumatic injuries that preclude spine surgery within 24 hours of presentation
• Concomitant injury/illness requiring targeted blood pressure management (e.g., injury to the aorta, aortic dissection, hemorrhagic stroke)
• Preexisting history of neuromotor disorders (i.e., cerebral palsy, Parkinson disease, etc.)
• Not expected to survive >24h
• Cord transection identified by radiologist and agreed upon by the spine surgery team
• Injury below spinal cord level L1
• Prisoners
• Pregnant women