Autonomic dysreflexia differs from autonomic instability, the various modest cardiac and neurological changes that accompany a spinal cord injury, including bradycardia, orthostatic hypotension, and ambient temperature intolerance.
12.
An exception to the avoidance of this practice is in the use of nifedipine in the treatment of hypertension associated with autonomic dysreflexia in spinal cord injury.
13.
Once a person has their first episode of autonomic dysreflexia, the next 7 10 days are critical because there is a high incidence of recurrence within that time.
14.
In autonomic dysreflexia, patients will experience hypertension, sweating, spasms ( sometimes severe spasms ) and erythema ( more likely in upper extremities ) and may suffer from headaches and blurred vision.
15.
Secondarily, because of their depressed functioning and immobility, people with tetraplegia are often more vulnerable to pressure sores, osteoporosis and fractures, frozen joints, spasticity, respiratory complications and infections, autonomic dysreflexia, deep vein thrombosis, and cardiovascular disease.
