About the Center
Acute Phase
Refer a Patient |
After initial emergency care, the patient is admitted to the acute SCI Center in the Neurosensory Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or the Intermediate Neurosensory Intensive Care Unit (INICU).
At Jefferson, the team of specialists
stabilizes the patient medically and spinally. The team will meet weekly
to discuss the patient's progress, problems, goals and treatment plans.
Physical and occupational therapists, social workers/case managers and
psychologists begin seeing the patient at Jefferson's NICU/INICU to prepare
for future physical rehabilitation. In addition, speech pathologists work
with patients who require a tracheotomy and their families to facilitate
communication.
While in the acute SCI unit, other rehabilitation goals include: initiating programs for bowel and bladder management; maintaining skin integrity; maintaining and increasing the range of motion in each joint; and strengthening muscles in preparation for intensive rehabilitation.
Patient/family education provides information
about spinal cord injury, the problems and concerns associated with it,
and the resources available to SCI patients and their families. Rehabilitation
professionals also provide counseling.
