title: A systematic review of the management of orthostatic hypotension after spinal cord injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review systematically the evidence for the management of orthostatic hypotension (OH) in patients with spinal cord injuries (SCIs).
  
  
  METHODS
  A key word literature search was conducted of original and review articles as well as practice guidelines using Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE, and PsycInfo, and manual searches of retrieved articles from 1950 to July 2008, to identify literature evaluating the effectiveness of currently used treatments for OH.
  
  
  METHODS
  Included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), prospective cohort studies, case-control studies, pre-post studies, and case reports that assessed pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic intervention for the management of OH in patients with SCI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two independent reviewers evaluated the quality of each study, using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database score for RCTs and the Downs and Black scale for all other studies. Study results were tabulated and levels of evidence assigned.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 8 pharmacologic and 21 nonpharmacologic studies were identified that met the criteria. Of these 26 studies (some include both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions), only 1 pharmacologic RCT was identified (low-quality RCT producing level 2 evidence), in which midodrine was found to be effective in the management of OH after SCI. Functional electrical stimulation was one of the only nonpharmacologic interventions with some evidence (level 2) to support its utility.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although a wide array of physical and pharmacologic measures are recommended for the management of OH in the general population, very few have been evaluated for use in SCI. Further research needs to quantify the efficacy of treatment for OH in subjects with SCI, especially of the many other pharmacologic interventions that have been shown to be effective in non-SCI conditions.
authors.affiliation: International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. krassioukov@icord.org
authors.forename: Andrei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krassioukov
authors.forename: Janice J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Eng
authors.forename: Darren E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Warburton
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Teasell
mesh_terms: D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007024:Hypotension, Orthostatic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008879:Midodrine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D008879:Midodrine