Final answer:
In assessing a spinal injury, checks for muscle strength, unusual warmth, visible bleeding, tingling sensations, loss of consciousness, and abnormal sounds from the spine are performed. In a hemisection of the spinal cord due to trauma like a motorcycle accident, there are distinct sensory deficits where fine touch may be perceived opposite the injury, whereas pain and temperature sensation is lost on the side with motor dysfunction.
Step-by-step explanation:
Assessment of a Spinal Injury Victim
During the second assessment of an assumed spinal injury victim, professionals check for indicators such as muscle strength, unusual warmth, visible bleeding, tingling sensations, loss of consciousness, and abnormal sounds from the spine. These assessments help in understanding the extent of the injury and determining the underlying cause.
In the context of a patient with a motorcycle accident leading to a potential spinal cord hemisection, the sensory deficits expected would include a disruption in the perception of fine touch or proprioception on the side of the body opposite to the injured part of the spinal cord, due to the dorsal column-medial lemniscus pathway carrying these sensations and being intact ipsilaterally. However, the ability to sense pain and temperature would be lost on the side of the injury because of damage to the spinothalamic tract, which carries these modalities contralaterally. Sensory discrimination tests, such as using a cotton-tipped applicator, play a crucial role in localizing the level of spinal damage.