Paralyzed Veterans of America: Spinal Cord Injury Clinical Guidelines | Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Research

THE CONSORTIUM FOR SPINAL CORD MEDICINE
How can we make care for persons with spinal cord injuries or diseases (SCI/D) more evidence-based? Since 1995, a group of 22 health professional, payer and consumer organizations, funded and administered by PVA, has made this question their mission.

It's a mission centered around evidence-based clinical practice guidelines: recommendations to health care providers based on current research findings that expert methodologists have graded for their scientific strength and validity.

Using scientific research and consumer input, the Consortium updates these guidelines and develops new ones, promoting a SCI/D research agenda that encourages scientific rigor and outcome evaluation.

The Consortium's clinical practice guidelines for health care professionals and companion consumer guides help people living with SCI/D put this information to use in their daily lives. These easy-to-understand publications provide guidance and address questions on SCI/D subjects ranging from pressure ulcers to bowel care to expected outcomes one year out from injury. Some consumer guides are available in Spanish.

Printed and downloadable versions of the clinical practice guidelines and consumer guides are available.

Clinical Practice Guidelines for Health Care Professionals

Bladder Management For Adults with Spinal Cord Injury
Preservation of Upper Limb Function Following Spinal Cord Injury
Respiratory Management Following Spinal Cord Injury
Depression Following Spinal Cord Injury
Neurogenic Bowel Management in Adults with Spinal Cord Injury
Outcomes Following Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury
Acute Management of Autonomic Dysreflexia
Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Treatment Following Spinal Cord Injury
Prevention of Thromboembolism in Spinal Cord Injury

Consumer Guidelines

Autonomic Dysreflexia: What You Should Know
Depression: What You Should Know
Expected Outcomes: What You Should Know
Neurogenic Bowel: What You Should Know
Pressure Ulcers: What You Should Know

Spanish Consumer Guides

Reflejo Disfuncional Autonomo: Lo Qué Usted Deberia Saber (Autonomic Dysreflexia)
Intestino Neurogénico: Lo Que Usted Debe Saber (Neurogenic Bowel)
Ulceras por Decubito: Lo Que Usted Debe Saber (Pressure Ulcers)

Guidelines Currently Being Developed

Early acute management
Sexuality and reproductive health

Priority Topics for Future Development

Nutrition, metabolic disorder and obesity
Psychological adjustment and coping
Spasticity management and treatment
Long bone fractures and osteoporosis
Heterotopic ossification

Donate to the Consortium

Mark Slaughter
Development Officer
marks@pva.org
202-416-7268
800-424-8200, ext. 268

Mail:
Paralyzed Veterans of America
Attn: Mark Slaughter
801 18th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006-3517

Contact the Consortium

Kim S. Nalle
Manager, Clinical Practice Guidelines
kimn@pva.org
202-416-7611
202-416-7622 TTY
202-416-7641 fax

Mail:
Paralyzed Veterans of America
Consortium for Spinal Cord Medicine
Attn: Kim S. Nalle
801 Eighteenth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006-3517

Consortium for Spinal Cord Medicine Steering Committee>

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