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What level of spinal cord injury (SCI) would cause loss of spontaneous respiration?

a) Cervical SCI
b) Thoracic SCI
c) Lumbar SCI
d) Sacral SCI

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The level of spinal cord injury that would cause loss of spontaneous respiration is cervical SCI.

Step-by-step explanation:

The level of spinal cord injury that would cause loss of spontaneous respiration is a) Cervical SCI.

The cervical region of the spinal cord is located in the neck area and controls the diaphragm, which is the main muscle responsible for breathing. Damage to the cervical region can disrupt signals from the brain to the diaphragm, leading to loss of spontaneous respiration.

For example, a high cervical spinal cord injury at the C1-C3 level can result in complete loss of respiratory function and require the use of mechanical ventilation to breathe.

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