Primary Care and SCI - Blood Pressure: 3.Autonomic Dysreflexia (AD) - Screening and Referral

Are there special issues that primary care doctors should know about people with spinal cord injury (SCI) and their blood pressure (BP)? In a word, yes!! People with SCI often have lower resting BP, and those with injuries at T6 or above are more likely to have dangerous spikes or drops in their BPs. After viewing this session, you should be able to: • Recognize symptoms of acute AD or OH • Apply first-line treatments to resolve acute episodes of AD as well as management options to prevent future episodes, and know whether to send people to a specialist doctor or to the emergency room. Screening - 1) First, know that your patient with SCI if they have an injury at or above T6, they will be particularly at risk for AD. 2) Know if your patient has a history with AD and any frequent triggers. 3) Know your patient’s standing/upright, sitting, and lying/supine BP to properly monitor fluctuations over time. Update at least annually. If an acute episode of AD is not resolving despite loosening clothes, checking bowel/bladder, and administering medication – your patient should be sent to the ER. If AD is happening to your patient multiple times a day for multiple days, send your patient to see a rehab specialist doctor, a Physiatrist. Want to learn more about blood pressure? See our articles! https://scireproject.com/evidence/ort... https://community.scireproject.com/to... Follow us on social media, sign up for our newsletter and check out our websites! SCIRE Professional: https://scireproject.com   / scireproject   SCIRE Community: https://community.scireproject.com   / scirecommunity     / scirecommunity     / scirecommunity   Newsletter: https://scireproject.com/whats-new/sc... Timestamps 00:00 Screening for Autonomic Dysreflexia 01:57 When to Refer 03:26 How Often Should Individuals with SCI Check Their Blood Pressure? #spinalcordinjury #bloodpressure #primarycare #autonomicdysfunction