Chair Pulling Pranks Can Have Fatal Consequences, IPB University FKGiz Lecturer Issues This Warning
Pulling chairs as a prank in a school setting can cause someone to fall and suffer serious injuries. Under certain conditions, an impact to the spine can result in a spinal cord injury (SCI). This can impair motor, sensory, and reflex functions of the body’s organs and may even be life threatening.
Dr Citra Ariani, Sp KP, M Biomed, a lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine and Nutrition (FKGiz) at IPB University, explains that a spinal cord injury occurs when trauma (physical injury) damages part of the central nervous system located within the spine.
The damage can occur immediately upon impact or develop later through a process of secondary injury.
Injuries Can Develop After Impact
According to dr Citra, severe trauma to the spine can cause primary injury that damages nerve cells or the blood vessels supplying the nerve fibers.
Subsequently, secondary injury can also occur in the form of a series of biological reactions that extend the damage through the inflammatory process. “The secondary injury process can occur anywhere from minutes to months after the trauma occurs,” explained dr Citra, who is also an expert in biomedical physiology.
She explained in detail that damage to certain parts of the spinal cord can lead to the loss of sensory, motor, or both types of function. These impairments can include the loss of the ability to feel touch, heat, or pain, as well as weakness or even paralysis.
“Spinal cord injury can also disrupt the function of the autonomic nervous system. One example is the loss of control over urination. Neuropathic pain resulting from secondary injuries can also persist for a long time and impair quality of life,” she added.
Life Threatening
dr Citra explained that spinal cord injuries are not always immediately apparent as severe. A person who remains conscious and able to speak after sustaining trauma is not necessarily in a safe condition.
“In severe cervical injuries, there is also a risk of respiratory failure due to damage to the nerves that control the respiratory muscles,” said dr Citra.
Immediate Medical Attention
She emphasized that anyone who has fallen or suffered trauma to the spinal cord area needs immediate medical attention. Patients should not be moved without proper stabilization, as this can worsen the injury.
Warning signs to watch for include severe back pain, a feeling of pressure in the neck or head, sudden paralysis, difficulty moving parts of the body, numbness, loss of bladder or bowel control, and decreased consciousness.
“Parents and teachers need to set an example for children by engaging in games and sports safely,” said dr Citra. (Fj) (IAAS/HNF)
