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What kind of shock? Spinal shock?

Try not to confuse neurogenic and spinal shock. Many will use the terms interchangeably, most often saying spinal shock when they mean neurogenic, and then you will have to use your frontal lobe to inhibit your impulses and decide whether it’s worth a correction that may be deemed rude or nitpicking.

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 Spinal Shock and Neurogenic Shock

“Spinal shock” is a neurologic phenomenon that generally lasts < 24 hours in the acute phase of a SCI and is best described as a transient physiologic reflex depression of cord function below the level of injury, resulting in loss of all sensorimotor functions.

 Spinal Shock vs Neurogenic shock

These two terms are often erroneously used interchangeably, however, they apply to two distinct concepts. Spinal shock is not a true ‘physiologic shock’, and should be thought of more as a ‘spinal concussion’. It is manifested by a flaccid areflexia post spinal cord injury. As edema around the cord resolves, symptoms will improve over a period of days to months, noted by return of the bulbocavernosus reflex (anal sphincter contraction in response to tugging on a foley catheter).

Articles of Interest

Episode 26 – The Spinal Cord

Spinal shock – Reduced reflexes following think of this as a stunning of the spinal cord. Neurogenic shock – This is loss of sympathetic innervation from injury to the cervical or thoracic spine, typically from a cervical or upper thoracic spinal cord injury, resulting in bradycardia and hypotension.

Spinal Shock: Differentiation from Neurogenic Shock and Key Management Approaches

The conceptual differentiation of spinal and neurogenic shock tends to be misunderstood among clinicians. In order to better illustrate the differences in definition, presentation, and development of spinal shock (SS) from neurogenic and other forms of shock, we present herein a clinically relevant summary of typical characteristics of SS.

What Is a Spinal Shock? Symptoms, Causes and How Long it Lasts

Spinal shock is characterized by the temporary reduction or loss of reflexes following a spinal cord injury.

Resources

StatPearls

The term "spinal shock" was first used by Hall in 1840. Sherrington further defined this as a transient extinction of reflexes below the level of spinal cord injury. Spinal shock is the sudden loss of reflexes and muscle tone below the level of injury that occurs after an acute onset of spinal cord injury.