Pulmonary - Testing & Referral - Primary Care Provider Resource for Spinal Cord Injury

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Pulmonary Testing

While standard PFTs require adjustment for SCI pts, forced vital capacity (FVC)and Forced Expiratory Volume in the first second (FEV1) and negative inspiratory force [NIF]) can be assessed longitudinally at all levels and neurologic completeness of SCI often showing Restrictive pattern
SCI patients show increase in vital capacity (VC) when changing from a seated to supine position
The main lung volume abnormality after incomplete cervical or thoracic SCI is a moderate reduction in ERV
Injury below C5 shows maximal expiratory force is impaired more than maximal inspiratory pressure

Conditions for referral

Patients with electrophrenic pacers
Home ventilation and/or tracheostomy cuff management
When Vital Capactiy <1L, ABG shows: PO2<50 or PCO2>50, or FVC<15cc/kg
phrenic nerve transplants

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The University of Alabama at Birmingham Spinal Cord Injury Model System provides this website as an auxiliary resource for the primary care of patients with spinal cord injury.The contents of this website were developed under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90SIMS0020). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this website do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.