Loss of Sensation
Type: Symptom
Definition
Inability to feel touch, heat, or cold.
Clinical Details
Sensory nerve tracts carrying information from the skin back to the brain are disrupted at the injury site. Patients completely lose the ability to feel pressure, temperature, or pain below the level of the trauma. This puts them at high risk for secondary injuries, such as severe pressure sores or burns, because they cannot feel tissue damage occurring.