Spinal Cord Injury — NCLEX Cheat Sheet
C3-C5 keeps diaphragm alive
👤 By the CinnaRN Clinical Content Team
🕐 Updated 2026-07-11
🏷️ Physiological Adaptation
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Use this quick-reference guide to spot, treat, and prevent Spinal Cord Injury on the NCLEX. Keep it handy during review and on exam day!
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- Higher injury = more deficit
- C4 above → vent dependent
- C3-5 = phrenic/diaphragm
- Spinal shock: flaccid, areflexia
- Neurogenic shock: ↓ BP, bradycardia
- Loss motor/sensory below level
- Immobilize spine, log roll
- Maintain airway, monitor resp
- DVT/skin/bowel-bladder program
- Resp distress in cervical injury
- Autonomic dysreflexia = emergency
✨Quick Tip
Function is lost below the level of injury; cervical (C3-C5) injuries threaten the diaphragm and breathing.
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