Infectious Complications
摘要
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with multiple systemic complications, especially infectious complications. Immunosuppression, the need for numerous invasive medical devices, prolonged hospital stays, neurological disabilities, and other various factors make this population susceptible to frequent and severe infectious complications. The frequent use of antibiotics and prolonged stay in medical facilities induce infections caused by multi-resistant organisms, complicating antibiotic treatment. Since infectious complications are associated with mortality, morbidity, high costs to the health care system, and poorer neurological recovery, it is imperative to work on efforts for infection prevention. This chapter discusses the physiopathology of infections in SCI and the management of different infectious complications.