Abstract
The management of an acutely injured spinal cord patient is one of the most difficult tasks in trauma, especially considering rarity of these injuries. Cervical spinal cord injuries are associated with multi-system dysfunction and physiological instability, consequently a higher rate of mortality and morbidity compared to lower thoracic and lumbar injuries. At the same time the final outcome of a spinal cord injury depends largely on the adequacy, accuracy, speedy intervention or first aid as well as competency and experience of the multidisciplinary team involved in the diagnosis and treatment within the first few hours of injury. In this presentation the author presents his personal experience in comprehensive care of spinal injuries in the UK, supported by available evidence from the literature