Effectiveness of respiratory management for mechanical ventilator weaning in traumatic spinal cord injury patients with prolonged ventilation

Background. Traumatic spinal cord injury is a medical condition which often results in disability and mortality. The mostcommon lesion was cervical level, which is around 60-75% of all cases, where at this level there is a risk of respiratoryproblems which often require mechanical ventilation.
Case report. In the case discussed, a 28-years-old male was referred from other hospital with traumatic cervical spinal cordinjury (C5-C6) ASIA score A with a history of falling from a height of 3 meters. The patient underwent decompressivelaminectomy on the tenth day of onset, followed by mechanical ventilation. During treatment, the patient receivedpharmacological therapy, tracheostomy, acupuncture, physiotherapy, and neuromuscular electrical stimulation for ventilatorweaning. The patient was hospitalized for 66 days, with mechanical ventilation duration for 32 days.
Conclusions. Factors that can influence the duration of ventilation weaning are the level and severity of spinal cord injury,time of transfer to a health facility, and complications related to ventilator installation. Multidisciplinary management,including pharmacological, physiotherapy, acupuncture, surgical, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, can increase thechances and decreasing the duration of mechanical ventilation, and reducing complications related to spinal cord injury andprolonged ventilation.