Spinal cord testing: development of a screening tool.
The Acute Spinal Cord Injury Program at Sunnybrook Medical Centre has treated more than 950 patients in the 13 years since development of the program. Ongoing assessment is essential in the care and rehabilitation of these patients. Nurses at Sunnybrook developed a screening tool which specifies muscle groups and dermatomes to be tested, and a means to quantify muscle power. The tool also addresses evaluation of vital capacity, bowel and bladder function. This article describes tool development and illustrates its use.
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