Complication | Cause | Symptoms | Treatment |
Autonomic Dysreflexia | Noxious stimulus (i.e. bladder: full, catheter kink, infection; pressure ulcer, extreme temperature change, tight clothing, ingrown toenail | high BP, severe headache, blurred vision, stuffy nose, profuse sweating, goose bumps below level of lesion, vasodilation above level of injury | -Position: Sitting
-Medical Emergency (life threatening!)
Check for...
1. catheter blockage
2. bowel impaction |
DVT | embolus (blood clot dislodged) | LE swelling, pain, sensitivity & warmth over area of | Bed rest & anticoagulant drug, maybe surgery |
Orthostatic Hypotension | loss of sympathetic control of vasoconstriction & absent or severly reduced muscle tone | dizziness, light-headedness, nausea, blacking out when going from horizontal to vertical | -monitor vital signs
-compression to LEs
-tilt table (gradual position change) |
Pressure Ulcers | sustained pressure, friction, shearing | reddened area that persists; an open area | -Prevention: frequent position changes
-Skin care
-Nutrition & hydration
-Surgery if advanced |
Spasticity | internal or external sources (i.e. stress, decubiti, UTI, b/b obstruction, temperature changes, touch) | increased involuntary contraction of muscle groups, increased tonic stretch reflexes, excessive DTRs | -Medications
-PT: positioning, aquatic PT, WB, FES, ROM, resting splints, inhibitive casting |