Autopsy: Emergency Room from Channel4.com

Permanent Damage

At a road traffic accident a driver is found unconscious at the wheel with multiple injuries. On examination, the driver appears to have suffered at least one broken rib and suspected damage to their back.

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At a road traffic accident a driver is found unconscious at the wheel with multiple injuries. On examination, the driver appears to have suffered at least one broken rib and suspected damage to their back.

$Although there is no bleeding about the chest, the fractured ribs have perforate soft tissue causing internal bleeding. Large amounts of blood can be lost due to internal bleeding, causing it to build up or pool in the spaces around the organs.$

Damage to the spine can have a catastrophic impact on the central nervous system. The electrical nerve signals that allow us to both control and feel our limbs all pass through our spine. So any damage to these nerve fibres can quite literally sever the brain’s connection with parts of the body.

Crucially, any movement to the patient should be kept to an absolute minimum to prevent further damage being inflicted on the spine. Neck braces and backboards can help with this, enabling the patient to be transported to hospital.

Some forms of spinal damage can be treated. For example, vertebrae can be reset. But any damage to the nerves themselves is often permanent. The way in which the nerves are organised within the spine very much determines which parts of the body will be affected by this nerve damage.

The spinal cord is hierarchical in nature. Because of this the extent of any damage to the central nervous system is very much dependent upon how far up the spine is injured. Damage to the upper regions of the spine or neck can result in the patient losing all feeling and control of their entire bod

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