European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society
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In the acute phase of spinal cord injury (SCI), ischemia and parenchymal hemorrhage are believed to worsen the primary lesions induced by mechanical trauma. To minimize ischemia, keeping the mean arterial blood pressure above 85 mmHg for at least 1 week is recommended, and norepinephrine is frequently administered to achieve this goal. However, no experimental study has assessed the effect of norepinephrine on spinal cord blood flow (SCBF) and parenchymal hemorrhage size. We have assessed the effect of norepinephrine on SCBF and parenchymal hemorrhage size within the first hour after experimental SCI. ⋯ In the rat, after a severe SCI at the Th10 level, injection of norepinephrine 15 min after SCI does not modify SCBF and increases the size of the parenchymal hemorrhage.