Spinal Injuries

Recently my father, who is 64 years old and about 85 kgs, fell down the stairs and suffered a fracture between the C5 and C6 vertebrae of his spine.

No one was home when it happened, and we had to break the door to get to him, just to find him sprawled on the floor, unable to get off the floor on his own.

We immediately took him to the doctor, my father was in extreme pain, and the doctor first recommended that we take him for an X-Ray, unfortunately due to the kind of trauma his spine had suffered an MRI was recommended for the best possible image to detect the extent of the injury.

An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is a medical imaging technique that uses a strong Magnetic Field to make images of structures inside the body.

An MRI is used in cases where X-Rays are not able to provide enough information about the trauma, because of bones or tissues that are in the way of a clear view of the trauma/injury.

Finding out where I could take him for the MRI was the hard part. I had no information about which centres provided MRI scan, which were better facilities, better machines, where the scans were most competitively priced? Which centres were better for Cervical Injuries?

That's when I came across Zywee.com, a website that is a one stop shop for all hospital and healthcare options in Bangalore, from doctors to specialities to reviews and prices. Zywee has everything one needs to know when it comes to healing oneself or a loved one.

To my joy I was able to locate the nearest MRI Centre and was prepared with what it would cost me, but mostly I was glad that I could access this information with a few clicks on my laptop. 

The importance of First Aid for Spinal Injuries

10 days ago, my father slipped and fell down the stairs. 

He is 64 years old, weighing 85 kgs and a highly diabetic patient. We found out the next day, when we took him to the hospital that he had suffered a fracture between C5 and C6 vertebrae of his spine. This had compressed the nerve next to it rendering his arms stiff and unmovable. The doctor told us that the best thing we did was give him the right first aid that saved him from paralysis. 

Here are some of the things you can do when a geriatric in your house falls down.

1. Do not move the person unless they are in an emergency such as fire or if they have fallen in an awkward position. If you have to move them, ensure their head is balanced. Do not attempt this single handedly. Have one person near the neck and one near their feet. Call your doctors immediately.

2. Check for their breathing, especially if they are vomiting or have difficulty breathing, roll them to their side. If they have breathing problems, do not attempt CPR, because that can strain the neck, instead attempt chest compression techniques.

3. Make them lie on their back with least stress to the neck. Any extra pressure may severe the nerves, rendering them paralysed (worst case scenario).Add a neck brace if you have one handy.

4. Check for swelling and bruises. Most of them will not appear immediately. Make them move their arms and legs to check for onset of nerve damage.

5. Check their memory with a few simple questions, such as the year, the current president or a few arithmetic problems, to see impact on their speech pattern and brain function.

6. To manage the pain till the doctor arrives, you can give them any pain killer such as Dolo 650, after they have ingested some water and food.

First aid is critical to ensure the patient does not suffer from any severe damage. Since spinal cord bones are non regenerative, to ensure minimum damage, they need to be taken to the hospital within 12 hours. Also any surgery that has been suggested needs to be done within 24-36 hours to minimize the damage.

Currently, my father has undergone surgery, where the doctors have inserted a titanium plate to help healing. A graft from his neck was used to fuse the cervical vertebrae with the titanium. He is healing slowly with the help of physiotherapy, which the most important postoperative care, for any bone & muscle related injuries. 

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