SPINAL UNIT PRESENTATION
Given that:
since June 2010 the structure of Spinal Unit (USU) has been activated within the “Azienda Ospedali Riuniti di Ancona” Italy, with valence of unipolarity, dedicated to the care of patients with Spinal cord Injuries (SCI) in the different clinical phases (emergency phase, subsequent phase of acuity, stabilization phase up to discharge and possible further admissions for serious tertiary complications, periodic outpatient follow-ups).
It was organized inside the Department of Neurological Sciences.
All acute SCI of traumatic origin, acute non-traumatic medullary lesions requiring neurosurgical treatment (neoplastic, vascular, infectious, etc.) and other acute SCI, according to the Guidelines for Spinal Units, refer to the Spinal Unit.
The USU takes charge of SCI patient, through the organization of diagnostic-therapeutic-rehabilitative individual path and, if it is possible, until reintegration into one's home.
All patients with:
• Acute SCI from cervical, dorsal or lumbar vertebro-medullary trauma, with paraplegia or tetraplegia, complete or incomplete
• Acute non-traumatic SCI, with complete or incomplete paraplegia or tetraplegia, for spinal tumors, infectious-inflammatory deseas, vascular and hemorrhagic pathology, also subjected to surgery.
• Treatment of late onset SCI complications (spasticity and neuropathic pain, late vertebral complications, bladder and bowel neurological complications, cutaneous complications).
CLINICAL PROTOCOLS OF THE CURATIVE PATH INSIDE THE SPINAL UNIT
- Clinical evaluation of severity and outcome neurological level.
- Treatment of paralytic ileus and nutritional program.
- Prevention of treatment of autonomic dysreflexia crises.
- Prevention of pressure sores.
- Prevention of DTV.
- Protocol for functional hand in tetraplegic patients.
- Physiotherapy and Sport therapy
- Occupational Therapy.
- Path of psychological care.
MULTIDISCIPLINARY CLINICAL PATHWAYS AND PROTOCOLS OF THE SPINAL UNITS
- Curative-care path for traumatic SCI during intra-hospital emergency phase, in collaboration with Emergency Medicine department, Neuroradiology and Intensive Care.
- Protocol for the management of respiratory complications in patients with acute spinal cord injury in collaboration with Clinical Pneumology.
- Urological protocol for the management of the patient with bone marrow and neurological bladder in collaboration with the Clinical Urology.
- protocol for electrophysiological diagnostic evaluation and intraoperative monitoring of the patient with SCI in collaboration with the Clinical Neurology.
- protocol for the management of spasticity in the patient with SCI, through intrathecal baclofen system in collaboration with the Clinical Neurorehabilitation.
- protocol for the treatment of neuropathic pain in collaboration with the Pain-Medicine Unit.
OUTPATIENTS ACTIVITIES
• Periodic follow up for discharged patients.
• Multidisciplinary outpatient visits.
COMPLEMENTARY ACTIVITIES
Relaxation and breathing techniques
Yoga
Art therapy
Osteopathic evaluation and treatment
Peer counselor program
SPINAL UNIT STAFF
DirectorDr. Maria Antonietta Recchioni
Tel. +39 0715965181
Spinal Unit Consultant
- Dr. William Capeci
- Dr. Barbara Cicconi
Tel. +39 0715965533
Spinal Unit Nurses
- Vincenzo de Nisi
- Alice Franceschetti
- Stefania Ciccanti
- Orietta Mariani
- Alessandro Livieri
- Alessandro Marchionni
Spinal Unit Psychologist
- Dr. Silvia Bonifazi
Spinal Unit Physiotherapists
- Micaela Tambroni Armaroli
- Chiara Ventrella
- Sara Mastrovincenzo
Spinal Unit Occupational Therapist
- Savino Alberto Campanale
- Parone Christian
