Respiratory Care in Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury is a significant life-altering event that results in severe and permanent disability. The spinal level of injury often determines the severity of disability. Respiratory insufficiency and ineffective cough lead to significant complications including dyspnea, atelectasis, bronchitis, pneumonia, respiratory failure, and death. In this chapter, we explore the respiratory pathophysiology and the standard interventions that are most often employed in the management of patients with spinal cord injury with respiratory compromise.