The nurse understands that when the spinal cord is injured, ischemia and edema result. How should the nurse explain to the patient the reason that the extent of injury cannot be determined for several days to a week?
1. "Tissue repair does not begin for 72 hours."
2. "The edema extends the level of injury two cord segments above and below the affected level."
3. "Neurons need time to regenerate, so stating the extent of injury early is not predictive of how the patient progresses."
4. "Necrosis of gray and white matter does not occur until days after the injury."
Correct Answer: 2
Within 24 hours, necrosis of both gray and white matter begins if ischemia has been prolonged and the function of nerves passing through the injured area is lost. Because the edema extends above and below the area affected, the extent of injury cannot be determined until after the edema is controlled. Neurons do not regenerate. Tissue repair occurs over a period of 3 to 4 weeks.
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