Breathing and the support of blood pressure after spinal cord injury.
METHODS
Literature review.


OBJECTIVE
The recognized effect of breathing on venous return and cardiac output has not been assessed in the spinal cord injury (SCI) patient. To test this effect indirectly, the breathing capacity and blood pressure have been compared at various levels of SCI.


METHODS
SCI service, Massachusetts, USA.


METHODS
Spinal cord-injured subjects with complete motor paralysis were studied. The forced vital capacity (FVC) (one study, 455 subjects, 91% male) was compared with the mean blood pressure (MBP) (one study, 461 subjects, 100% male) of subjects by level of paralysis.


RESULTS
For lumbar to cervical levels of paralysis, FVC and MBP each diminish progressively. To compare FVC directly with MBP by level of paralysis, r=0.85, P<0.001.


CONCLUSIONS
Breathing capacity is correlated with blood pressure in SCI patients.
Frisbie
J H
JH
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Spinal Cord Injury and Medical Services, West Roxbury, MA 02132, USA.
D001794:Blood Pressure; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012119:Respiration; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000145:classification* / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*