Spinal Injuries - Patient at the MTC - see flowchart below                                   CLICK HERE IF YOU ARE AT A TRAUMA UNIT

• Ensure ASIA chart completed within first 6 hours
• Ensure Network Guidance for assessing / protecting the whole spine [to be written] is followed
• For  spinal injury with or without neurology:

1. Cervical spine - neurosurgical SpR will provide advice +/- admission
2. Thoracic / Lumbar spine - orthopaedic spinal on call SpR (1781) will provide advice +/- admission
3. If consultant input required - spinal consultant on call via switchboard

• if there is a neurological injury then inform Spinal Cord Injury Centre within 4 hours (0844 811 8110). This is the responsibility of the team under whose care the patient is being admitted. Ask to speak to the consultant on call for spinal injuries.
• SCIC responsible for entering data to national database.
• SCIC will provide outreach visits within 5 days and then weekly until transfer.
• Follow Network Guidance on care of patients with spinal injuries during admission [to be written].
• If appropriate transfer to SCIC will occur 1-5 days post operative stabilisation (including ventilated patients)
• Patients will not be referred back to their trauma unit pending admission to SCIC
• If admission to SCIC not appropriate then patient should be transferred to their TU and SCIC will continue outreach there

Further clarification of what goes to Ortho Spines at the MTC and what goes to Neurosurgery can be found here