Skip to main content

Essential Laboratory Tests for Managing Spinal Cord Injuries

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
A Practical Guide to Care of Spinal Cord Injuries
  • 339 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter aims to emphasize the importance of laboratory testing in the management of spinal cord injuries and related disorders. Laboratory tests are essential diagnostic tools that can confirm diagnoses, assess the progression of the disease, and guide the treatment plan. Physicians who manage spinal cord injuries need to be aware of the various laboratory tests required for general medical management, as well as specific complications related to spinal cord injuries, such as bladder and bowel dysfunction, electrolyte imbalances, endocrine changes, wound care, autonomic dysfunction, sexual dysfunction, and metabolic disorders. The chapter provides a comprehensive review of the essential laboratory tests used in the diagnosis and management of spinal cord injuries and disorders. It discusses the clinical implications of basic laboratory tests and their applications in the diagnosis of various medical complications and assessment of pathological processes in spinal cord injuries and disorders. By understanding the role of laboratory tests, physicians can provide better management and care for patients with spinal cord injuries.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Amsterdam EA, Wenger NK, Brindis RG, et al. 2014 AHA/ACC Guideline for the Management of Patients with Non-ST-Elevation Acute Coronary Syndromes: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2014;23:e139–228.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asplund R, Aberg H. Diurnal variation in the levels of antidiuretic hormone in the elderly. J Intern Med. 1991;229:131–4.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beck FK, Rosenthal TC. Prealbumin: a marker for nutritional evaluation. Am Fam Physician. 2002;65:1575–8.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bernstein L, Bachman TE, Meguid M, et al. Measurement of visceral protein status in assessing protein and energy malnutrition: standard of care. Prealbumin in Nutritional Care Consensus Group. Nutrition. 1995;11:169–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bharadwaj S, Ginoya S, Tandon P, et al. Malnutrition: laboratory markers vs nutritional assessment. Gastroenterol Rep (Oxf). 2016;4:272–80.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bounds EJ, Kok SJ. D Dimer. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island, FL: StatPearls Publishing; 2021. PMID: 28613718.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campillo B, Paillaud E, Bories PN, et al. Serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 in the three months following surgery for a hip fracture in elderly: relationship with nutritional status and inflammatory reaction. Clin Nutr. 2000;19:349–54.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chopra S, Griffin PH. Laboratory tests and diagnostic procedures in evaluation of liver disease. Am J Med. 1985;79:221–30.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Costantini TW, Min E, Box K, et al. Dose adjusting enoxaparin is necessary to achieve adequate venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in trauma patients. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2013;74:128–33; discussion 134–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Davies AG. Antidiuretic and growth hormones. Br Med J. 1972;2:282–4.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Dellière S, Cynober L. Is transthyretin a good marker of nutritional status? Clin Nutr. 2017;36:364–70.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dorgalaleh A, Favaloro EJ, Bahraini M, et al. Standardization of prothrombin time/international normalized ratio (PT/INR). Int J Lab Hematol. 2021;43:21–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Farias MG, Schunck EG, Dal Bó S, et al. Definition of reference ranges for the platelet distribution width (PDW): a local need. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2010;48:255–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ferguson TW, Komenda P, Tangri N. Cystatin C as a biomarker for estimating glomerular filtration rate. Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. 2003;24:295–300.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fischbach FT, Dunning MB III. A manual of laboratory and diagnostic tests. 9th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer; 2015.

    Google Scholar 

  • George CPL, Messerli FH, Genest J, et al. Diurnal variation of plasma vasopressin in man. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1975;41:332–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ghazanfar MN, Thomsen SF. D-dimer as a potential blood biomarker for disease activity and treatment response in chronic urticaria: a focused review. Eur J Dermatol. 2018;28:731–5.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hasegawa M, Wada H, Yamaguchi T, et al. The evaluation of D-dimer levels for the comparison of fibrinogen and fibrin units using different D-dimer kits to diagnosis VTE. Clin Appl Thromb Hemost. 2018;24:655–62.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ingenbleek Y. Plasma transthyretin as a biomarker of sarcopenia in elderly subjects. Nutrients. 2019;11:895.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Jacob R, Khan M. Cardiac biomarkers; what is and what can be. Indian J Cardiovasc Dis Women WINCARS. 2018;3:240–4.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson ED, Schell JC, Rodgers GM. The D-dimer assay. Am J Hematol. 2019;94:833–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kearon C, Akl EA, Ornelas J, et al. Antithrombotic therapy for VTE disease: CHEST guideline and expert panel report. Chest. 2016;149:315–52.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Keller U. Nutritional laboratory markers in malnutrition. J Clin Med. 2019;8:775.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kilinc S, Akman MN, Levendoglu F, et al. Diurnal variation of antidiuretic hormone and urinary output in spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord. 1999;37:332–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Korniluk A, Koper-Lenkiewicz OM, KamiÅ„ska J, et al. Mean platelet volume (MPV): new perspectives for an old marker in the course and prognosis of inflammatory conditions. Mediat Inflamm. 2019;2019:9213074.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumagai G, Wad K, Kudo H, et al. D-dimer monitoring combined with ultrasonography improves screening for asymptomatic venous thrombosis in acute spinal cord injury. J Spinal Cord Med. 2020;43:353–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Li L, Dai L, Wang X, et al. Predictive value of the C-reactive protein-to-prealbumin ratio in medical ICU patients. Biomark Med. 2017;11:329–37.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lim W, Le Gal G, Bates SM, et al. American Society of Hematology 2018 guidelines for management of venous thromboembolism: diagnosis of venous thromboembolism. Blood Adv. 2018;2:3226–56.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Marcellini F, Giuli C, Papa R, et al. Zinc status, psychological and nutritional assessment in old people recruited in five European countries: Zincage study. Biogerontology. 2006;7:339–45.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Masuda M, Ueta T, Shiba K, et al. D-dimer screening for deep vein thrombosis in traumatic cervical spinal injuries. Spine J. 2015;15:2338–44.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moon DG, Kin MH, Lee JG, et al. Antidiuretic hormone in elderly male patients with severe nocturia: a circadian study. BJU Int. 2004;94:571–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nah EH, Kim S, Cho S, et al. Complete blood count reference intervals and patterns of changes across pediatric, adult, and geriatric ages in Korea. Ann Lab Med. 2018;38:503–11.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Panigrahi AK, Liu LL. Patient blood management: coagulation. In: Gropper MA, editor. Miller’s anesthesia. 9th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2020.

    Google Scholar 

  • Provan D, editor. Oxford handbook of clinical and laboratory investigation. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2018.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roffi M, Patrono C, Collet JP, et al. 2015 ESC Guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes in patients presenting without persistent ST-segment elevation: Task Force for the Management of Acute Coronary Syndromes in Patients Presenting without Persistent ST-Segment Elevation of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Eur Heart J. 2016;37:267–315.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Spiekeman A. Nutritional assessment (protein nutriture). Anal Chem. 1995;67:429–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stevens LA, Coresh J, Greene T, et al. Assessing kidney function – measured and estimated glomerular filtration rate. N Engl J Med. 2006;354:2473–83.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tangri N, Stevens LA, Schmid CH, et al. Changes in dietary protein intake has no effect on serum cystatin C levels independent of the glomerular filtration rate. Kidney Int. 2011;79:471–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Toh CH. Laboratory testing in disseminated intravascular coagulation. Semin Thromb Hemost. 2001;27:653–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tuerk M, Fazel N. Zinc deficiency. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2009;25:136–43.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Unterman TG, Vazquez RM, Slas AJ, et al. Nutrition and somatomedin. XIII. Usefulness of somatomedin-C in nutritional assessment. Am J Med. 1985;78:228–34.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • van Leeuwen AM, Bladh ML. Davis’s comprehensive handbook of laboratory diagnostic tests with nursing implications. 6th ed. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company; 2015.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Ko, HY. (2023). Essential Laboratory Tests for Managing Spinal Cord Injuries. In: A Practical Guide to Care of Spinal Cord Injuries. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-4542-9_7

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-4542-9_7

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-99-4541-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-99-4542-9

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics