Acute Care Management of Post-TBI Spasticity

The management of persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who have acute spasticity remains a challenge. A correct stratification is essential to clinical care and determination of efficacy from proposed interventions. The secondary severe sequlae of spasticity after TBI can result in profound functional impairment. These concerns are often best addressed early in the patient's course. Limited research in the area of the acute care treatment of severe spasticity is available. The authors employ a review of the available data as well as recount their own clinical experience in the acute care management of severe spasticity to assist in developing an order for the plethora of potential treatments available to clinicians and researchers. We propose to use a case example to emphasize key clinic points in the management of spasticity in the acute care setting.