It is suspected that a patient admitted with spinal cord injury has severe cord injury.The nurse would prepare the patient for which diagnostic test to determine the extent of this edema?

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MRI is the best diagnostic test to determine the extent of spinal cord edema as it provides a detailed image of the spinal cord and surrounding structures without using ionizing radiation. This helps in identifying the location, severity, and extent of any injury or edema. Angiography is used to evaluate blood vessels and would not be helpful in evaluating spinal cord edema. Somatosensory-evoked potentials can provide information on nerve function, but is not the most helpful in diagnosing spinal cord edema. CT scans can provide images of the spinal cord but are not as sensitive or detailed as MRI when evaluating edema.

It Is Suspected That a Patient Admitted with Spinal Cord