Orthostatic hypotension in the first month following acute spinal cord injury.
METHODS
Retrospective data analysis.


OBJECTIVE
To determine prevalence of orthostatic hypotension (OH) in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) during the acute rehabilitation period.


METHODS
Quaternary care spinal unit, Vancouver General Hospital, British Columbia, Canada.


METHODS
Eighty-nine patients with acute SCI stratified by neurological level (cervical, 55 (62%); upper thoracic, 12 (13%); lower thoracic, 22 (25%)), and graded by American Spinal Injury Association standards. Non-invasive measurement of systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were made at baseline and 3 min following an orthostatic challenge test administered during the first month after SCI.


RESULTS
Patients with cervical or upper thoracic motor complete SCI more frequently experienced OH (P<0.01). OH persisted during the first month following SCI in 74% of cervical and only 20% of upper thoracic motor complete SCI patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with cervical and upper thoracic motor complete SCI are more likely to experience persistent OH than those with lower level or motor incomplete SCI during the first month of rehabilitation.
Sidorov
E V
EV
ICORD, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Townson
A F
AF
Dvorak
M F
MF
Kwon
B K
BK
Steeves
J
J
Krassioukov
A
A
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D020211:Autonomic Dysreflexia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007024:Hypotension, Orthostatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae; D013997:Time Factors