STUDY DESIGN: Questionnaire survey. OBJECTIVES: Although a range of novel therapeutic approaches for traumatic @entity1566 (tSCI) are being trialled in highly standardised, pre-clinical research models, little has been published about the extent of standardisation in health service delivery for newly injured tSCI @entity1 . SETTING: All Emergency Medical Services (EMSs) and 11 level-1 @entity130 centres (L1TCs) in the Netherlands. METHODS: A survey assessing the organisation of pre-hospital and acute tSCI management was developed and distributed across all 23 pre-hospital EMSs and 11 L1TCs based in the Netherlands. RESULTS: Response rates for EMSs and L1TCs were 82 and 100%, respectively. Thirteen EMSs (68%) transported all @entity1 who are suspected of having tSCI to L1TCs. The decision to transfer tSCI @entity1 to L1TCs was primarily made by paramedics at the scene of accident (79%). Nonetheless, no EMS reported the use of validated neurological assessments for determining the likelihood of tSCI. The International Standards for Neurological Classification of SCI were used to determine the level and severity of tSCI in four centres, and three centres performed magnetic resonance imaging in all tSCI @entity1 . Three L1TCs had spinal cord perfusion support protocols in place, and two centres administered @entity23096 to acute tSCI @entity1 . CONCLUSION: We found a large variance in the delivery of pre-hospital and acute tSCI management in a well-defined geographical catchment area. This survey urges the need for implementing standardised assessments and developing best-practice guidelines, which should be endorsed by all pre-hospital and acute tSCI health-care providers.

Pre-hospital and acute management of traumatic XXXX in the Netherlands: survey results urge the need for standardisation.

@entity1566 :: ('MESH:D013119', 'Disease') :: ['spinal cord injury'] @entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity23096 :: ('CHEBI:6888', 'Chemical') :: ['methylprednisolon'] @entity130 :: ('MESH:D014947', 'Disease') :: ['trauma']
@entity1566 :: (MESH:D013119,Disease) :: ['spinal cord injury']
