Have you already come across the term Autonomic dysreflexia? It’s quite unfamiliar term isn’t it? But this term is used when the spinal lesions of an individual above the T6 spinal cord level was injured.
According to one reference says that the acute Autonomic Dysreflexia or AD is an effect of autonomic nervous system to over-stimulation. It characterized by severe paroxysmal hypertension connected with sore headaches, plentiful sweating, nasal stuffiness, flushing of the skin above the level of the lesion, bradycardia, apprehension and anxiety which sometimes accompanied by cognitive imapairment.
What are the most common causes of the damage? Base another reference, the hyperreflexia in patients with spinal cord injury are loss of bowel and bladder function, resulting in impaction in the case of the bowels and distention in case of the bladder. Other causes include medication side effects and various disease processes.
How to treat a person who has Autonomic Dysreflexia? It involves administration of anti-hypertensives along with immediate determination and removal of the triggering stimuli. To reduce blood pressures below dangerous levels and have partial symptoms relief, the patient must sit in up position and with dangling legs over the bedside. Do not use tight clothing and stockings. Using the anaesthetic lubricating jelly, stool impaction in the rectum will be cleared. Through the catheterization of the bladder or relief of a blocked of urinary catheter tube may resolve the problem.
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