Current updates on various treatment approaches in the early management of acute spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a debilitating condition which often leads to a severe disability and ultimately impact patient's physical, psychological, and social wellbeing. The management of acute SCI has evolved over the couple of decades due to improved understanding of injury mechanisms and increasing knowledge of disease. Currently, the early management of acute SCI patient includes pharmacological agents, surgical intervention and newly experimental neuroprotective strategies. However, many controversial areas are still surrounding in the current treatment strategies for acute SCI, including the optimal timing of surgical intervention, early versus delayed decompression outcome benefits, the use of methylprednisolone. Due to the lack of consensus, the optimal standard of care has been varied across treatment centres. The authors have shed a light on the current updates on early treatment approaches and neuroprotective strategies in the initial management of acute SCI in order to protect the early neurologic injury and reduce the future disability.

Automated summary

Spinal cord injury is a debilitating condition that impacts physical, psychological, and social wellbeing of patients. Current management strategies include pharmacological treatment, surgical intervention, and neuroprotective approaches, but controversies still exist regarding optimal timing of interventions and use of certain medications. Despite lack of consensus, efforts are being made to update early treatment approaches and neuroprotective strategies to minimize neurologic injury and disability.