Autonomic dysreflexia is a hypertensive episode in spinal cord-injured individuals induced by exaggerated sympathetic activity and thought to be alpha-adrenergic mediated. alpha-Adrenoceptor antagonists have been a rational first choice; nevertheless, calcium channel blockers are primarily used in autonomic dysreflexia management. However, alpha-adrenoceptor blockade may leave a residual vasoco...

This retrospective study, performed in 2009, aimed to identify nursing diagnoses and interventions for the care of patients with spinal cord injury. Data were collected from the nursing records of 465 patients with SCI undergoing rehabilitation. The nursing diagnosis Risk for autonomic dysreflexia was identified in 271 clinical records (58, 3%). Approximately 80 patients developed autonomic dys...

Increasing numbers of patients with spinal cord injury present for surgery or obstetric care. Spinal cord injury causes unique pathophysiological changes. The most important peri-operative dangers are autonomic dysreflexia, bradycardia, hypotension, respiratory inadequacy and muscle spasms. Autonomic dysreflexia is suggested by headache, sweating, bradycardia and severe hypertension and may be ...

Late complications of spinal cord injury can include Charcot arthropathy, in which spinal instability occurs as a result of repetitive trauma in the insensate spine. In rare cases, this can present as autonomic dysreflexia. We present the case of a 60-year-old man with longstanding C6 quadriplegia who presented with six months of hypertension, diaphoresis and dizziness. After an extensive worku...

Autonomic dysreflexia is an acute syndrome of excessive, uncontrolled sympathetic output that can occur in patients who have had an injury to the spinal cord (generally at or above the sixth thoracic neurologic level). It is caused by spinal reflex mechanisms that remain intact despite the patient's injury, leading to hypertension. This review describes the clinical features of autonomic dysref...

Figure 1 Comparing systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) at baseline (figure on left) to development of autonomic dysreflexia during ejaculation with penile vibrostimulation (figure on right), after either placebo or prazosin was administered. The increase in SBP was mitigated during ejaculation when prazosin was administered compared to...

Autonomic dysreflexia is a clinical emergency syndrome of uncontrolled sympathetic output that can occur in patients who have a history of spinal cord injury. Despite its frequency in spinal cord injury patients, central nervous system complications are very rare. We report a man with traumatic high level incomplete spinal cord injury who suffered hypertensive right thalamic hemorrhage secondar...

Hyperbilirubinemia at neonatal period is one of the major deteriorating factors of the auditory system. If left untreated, it may cause certain cerebral damage. This study aims to evaluate the impact of hyperbilirubinemia on the hearing of neonate. This study was conducted on 35 newborn babies with jaundice (bilirubin more than 20 mg/dL). Auditory brainstem response (ABR) and transient evoked o...