• Admissions and Referrals
  • Referral Criteria for Acute Spinal Cord Injury
  • Clinicians
  • Admission Arrangements
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Referral Criteria for Acute Spinal Cord Injury

The NSIC normally aims to admit patients with acute spinal cord injury and cauda equina damage, who are medically fit for transfer, within the first 24 hours following traumatic or stable non-progressive cord injury secondary to e.g vascular damage, infection or haemorrhage. Patients with cord injury requiring ventilation are also accepted.

Patients with established spinal cord injury who become acutely unwell are admitted dependant on availability of appropriate bed.

The NSIC also admits children under the age of 16 for rehabilitation once they have commenced mobilisation after injury.

The NSIC does not usually accept patients with cord damage due to malignant neoplasm, spinal fracture without cord injury, progressive neurological conditions (e.g disseminated sclerosis) or conditions which preclude engagement in spinal cord injury rehabilitation such as severe brain injury.

Guidance for patients unfit to travel to the NSIC and children under the age of 16 is available to encompass medical, nursing, physio and occupational therapy advice.