Risk factors:
(1) amperage > 25 milliamperes
(2) voltage > 1,000 volts (high tension)
(3) alternating current
(4) longer duration of exposure to the current
(5) pathway of electrical flow entering one extremity and leaving another
The affected patient typically shows no signs or indications of spinal injury at presentation.
Onset:
(1) immediate: within 24 hours
(2) delayed: from 2 days to 2 years
Most injuries ae incomplete. Motor function is usually affected with or without sensory symptoms. Patients may develop paraparesis (involvement of the lower extremities) or quadriparesis.
Most patients make a full recovery with time. Some may have residual weakness or urinary bladder symptoms and some may have permanent impairment.
Differential diagnosis:
(1) traumatic injury to the spinal cord, often with vertebral fracture, typically fall-related
