Quadriplegia Fact Sheet
What you should know about Quadriplegia
Quadriplegia is the inability to move and/or feel both arms, both legs, and the parts of the body below the area
of injury to the spinal cord. Quadriplegia is typically caused by an injury to the spinal cord. It is most likely
to occur when a spinal cord injury is in the area of the 5th to 7th cervical vertebrae (bones in the neck that make
up part of the structure surrounding the spinal cord). Spinal cord injuries in this area are more likely to cause
quadriplegia because the spinal cord cannot send messages below the area where it is seriously damaged. Since the
arms and legs are both below the neck area, serious injury to the spinal cord in this area often leads to an
inability to feel the arms, legs, and any other body parts below the level of the injury.
Various causes of spinal cord injuries that result in quadriplegia include a motor vehicle or motorcycle accident,
gunshot wounds, and falls. Treatment of quadriplegia begins at the scene of the accident—health care professionals
strap the injured person to a special type of board and place a brace around the person's neck to prevent the spine
or neck from moving to prevent further damage from occurring at the scene of the spinal cord injury. In addition,
medications known as diuretics and steroids are administered to decrease any buildup of fluid in the spine that is
caused by leakage from dead cells.
Health care providers should also take measures to prevent complications from occurring inpatients. For example, to
treat potential hypothermia, the person is placed in blankets. A bandage known as an abdomen binder is wrapped
around it to provide support to the abdomen area due to weak muscles. The patient is given special stocking to wear
on the legs to prevent blood clots. Pressure sores, which develop from staying in the same position for an extended
period of time, also need to be prevented.
Diagnosing Quadriplegia
Quadriplegia is diagnosed through interviewing the person with the suspected condition and conducting a complete
physical and neurological examination. X-rays of the head, chest, and the abdomen (belly) are taken to assess other
injuries. The medical professional will also take X-rays and myelography (a type of picture taken of the spinal
cord and spinal nerves using radiation) of the spine to look for any blockages in the spinal cord or fractures in
the bones that surround the spinal cord.
Quadriplegia is characterized by a decrease in the normal level of tension that exists in muscles of the arms and
legs. A loss of power and sensation below the area of the spinal cord injury may also occur. In fact, many people
with quadriplegia die of breathing failure because voluntary control over the muscles and organs that are necessary
to breathe is dramatically impaired. It is thus crucial for health care providers to make sure that someone with
quadriplegia can breathe properly.
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