| Spinal Court Injuries Treatment in the
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| | bowel management. Daily tasks: Assistive
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| days and weeks following a spinal cord
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| | technology allows for independence in
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| injury
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| | tasks such as turning pages, using a
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| There are several types of treatment in
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| | telephone and operating lights and
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| the short term for a spinal cord injury.
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| | appliances.
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| First, the spine in the area of the
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| | Mobility: Can operate an electric
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| injured spinal cord is immobilized (held
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| | wheelchair by using a head control, mouth
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| in place so it can't move) to prevent
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| | stick, or chin control. A power tilt
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| further injury to the cord. For injuries
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| | wheelchair allows independent pressure
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| to the neck, immobilizing the spine may
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| | relief from sitting in one position.
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| include placing the head in a
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| | Usually has head and neck control.
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| ââ¬Å"haloââ¬? (a device
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| | Breathing: May initially require a
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| that prevents the head from moving). For
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| | ventilator for breathing but usually
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| spinal cord injuries in the back, casts,
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| | adjusts to breathing full-time without
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| braces and straps may be temporarily used
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| | ventilator assistance. Communication:
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| to keep the back from moving.
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| | Normal.
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| To reduce swelling in the spinal cord
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| | Daily tasks: With specialized equipment
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| caused by injury, steroid medication is
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| | may have limited independence in feeding
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| usually given during the first 24 hours
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| | and independently operating an adjustable
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| following injury. Other medical treatment
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| | bed with an adaptive controller.
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| is often necessary, depending on
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| | Typically has head and neck control, can
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| complications that may develop.
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| | shrug shoulder and has shoulder control.
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| Because traumatic injury to the spinal
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| | Can bend elbows and turn palms face up.
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| cord usually involves an injury to the
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| | Daily tasks: Independence with eating,
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| bones and ligaments of the spine, surgery
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| | drinking, face washing, brushing teeth,
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| may be performed. The aim of some
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| | face shaving and hair care after
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| surgeries is to remove bone (this is
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| | assistance in setting up specialized
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| called "decompression") that is pressing
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| | equipment.
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| on or into the spinal cord. A surgeon may
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| | Health care: Can help in preventing
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| also want to stabilize or realign the
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| | pressure ulcers by leaning forward or
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| spine in the area of the spinal cord
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| | side-to-side.
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| injury when the vertebrae or ligaments
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| | Has movement in head, neck, shoulders,
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| have been damaged.
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| | arms and wrists. Can shrug shoulders, bend
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| Metal rods or cages and screws may be
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| | elbows, turn palms up and down and extend
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| attached to normal vertebrae to prevent
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| | wrists. Daily tasks: With help of
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| movement of fractured vertebrae and the
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| | specialized equipment can perform with
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| vertebrae may be
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| | greater ease and independence daily tasks
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| ââ¬Å"fusedââ¬? together
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| | of feeding, bathing, grooming, personal
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| using bone graft for the same reason.
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| | hygiene and dressing. May independently
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| Grafts, which involve the growth of new
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| | perform light housekeeping duties.
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| bone tissue into adjacent bone, require
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| | Health care: Can independently perform
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| time to ââ¬Å"takeââ¬?.
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| | skin checks, turn in bed, and relieve
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| Consequently, metal
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| | pressure while sitting. Mobility: Some
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| ââ¬Å"hardwareââ¬? is
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| | individuals can independently do transfers
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| usually needed to hold the spine in place
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| | but often require a sliding board. Can use
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| while the graft is taking. Stretching of
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| | a manual wheelchair for daily activities
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| the spine using weights and pulleys
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| | but may use power wheelchair for greater
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| (called traction) may also help with
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| | independence.
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| alignment of the spine. Rehabilitation
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| | Has similar movement as an individual with
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| Hospitals
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| | C6 with added ability to straighten
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| Rehabilitation hospitals provide several
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| | elbows.
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| different types of specialists to help in
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| | Daily tasks: Able to perform household
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| the recovery process. Physicians who
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| | duties. Needs fewer adaptive aids in
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| specialize in physical and rehabilitation
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| | independent living. Health care: Able to
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| medicine (called physiatrists) usually
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| | do wheelchair pushups for pressure relief.
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| supervise the rehabilitation program.
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| | Mobility: Daily use of manual wheelchair.
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| Physical therapists plan therapy to
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| | Can transfer with greater ease.
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| strengthen muscles in parts of the body
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| | Has added strength and coordination of
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| that still function. Occupational
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| | fingers with limited or even normal hand
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| therapists specialize in training
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| | function. Daily tasks: Can live
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| individuals who have lost muscle strength
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| | independently without assistive devices in
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| or coordination to relearn the tasks of
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| | feeding, bathing, grooming, oral and
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| daily living, such as eating, dressing,
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| | facial hygiene, dressing, and bladder and
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| and grooming. They also train people in
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| | bowel management. Mobility: Uses manual
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| how to use assistive equipment and braces.
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| | wheelchair. Can transfer independently.
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| Social workers help in finding resources
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| | Has normal motor function in head, neck,
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| to pay for equipment, home modifications,
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| | shoulders, arms, hands and fingers. Has
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| and attendant care. Family members also
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| | increased use of rib and chest muscles and
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| receive education in assisting the injured
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| | may have some trunk control. Daily tasks:
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| person. Are spinal cord injuries
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| | Should be totally independent with all
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| permanent?
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| | activities. Mobility: A few individuals
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| Whether a spinal cord injury is permanent
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| | are capable of limited walking with
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| or not will depend in part on how severe
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| | extensive bracing. However, this requires
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| the injury is, which can range from a mild
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| | extremely high energy and puts stress on
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| bruise (contusion) to the cord being
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| | the upper body, which can lead to damage
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| severed in two. Even when injuries are
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| | of upper joints. There is no functional
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| permanent, any survivors, including those
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| | advantage with this kind of walking.
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| with severe spinal cord injuries, achieve
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| | Mortality
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| a one or two level of
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| | Because of the force that is required to
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| ââ¬Å"functionalââ¬?
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| | fracture the spine, many spinal
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| improvement following treatment and
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| | cord-injured patients suffer significant
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| rehabilitation (and some survivors achieve
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| | damage to the chest or abdomen. Many of
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| an even better recovery).
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| | these associated injuries are fatal. For
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| Limited movement of head and neck:
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| | isolated spinal cord injuries the
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| Breathing: Depends on a ventilator for
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| | mortality after one year is about 5-7%. If
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| breathing. Communication: Talking may be
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| | a patient survives the first 24 hours
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| very limited or impossible. If ability to
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| | after spinal cord injury, the likelihood
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| talk is limited, communication can be
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| | of survival for ten years is approximately
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| accomplished independently with a mouth
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| | 75-80%. The ten-year survival rate for
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| stick and assistive technologies like a
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| | patients who survived the first year after
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| computer for speech or typing. Effective
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| | injury is 87%. Not surprisingly, younger
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| communication allows the survivor to
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| | survivors and those with incomplete
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| direct caregivers with daily activities
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| | injuries do better than older survivors
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| such as bathing, dressing, personal
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| | and those with complete injuries.
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| hygiene, transferring, and bladder and
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