• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.531-534
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• 2007

Purpose: Plastic surgeons are responsible for the management of spinal cord injury patients with upper and lower extremity reconstruction, pressure sore, and wounds. Derailment of autonomic nervous systems caused by injury to the spinal cord may result in fatal autonomic dysreflexia. Autonomic dysreflexia is a syndrome of massive imbalance of reflex sympathetic discharge occurring in patients with spinal cord lesion above the splanchnic outflow(T6). It is characterized by a sudden onset and severe increase in blood pressure and is potentially life threatening. The other classic symptoms are headache, chest pain, sweating, and bradycardia. In order to lower the blood pressure, it is important to remove the noxious stimulus for autonomic dysreflexia. If such symptoms last for more than 15 minutes despite conservative interventions, antihypertension drugs are recommended. Methods: In this case study, we report an autonomic dysreflexia case that developed in a 45 year-old tetraplegia patient with sacral pressure sore. When he got bladder irrigation, his blood pressure went up very high and his mentality became stuporous. He was sent to ICU for his blood pressure and mental care. ICU care made his vital sign stabilized and his mentality alert. Results: After the patient underwent proper treatment like inotropic agent, he was transferred to the general ward and his pressure sore on sacral area was coveraged with gluteus maximus myocutaneous advancement flap. Conclusion: If treatment is not effective, the patients have to undergo sudden, severe hypertension, which can cause stroke or death. To provide safe and effective care, plastic surgeons should be able to recognize and treat autonomic dysreflexia.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.277-279
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• 2014

Autonomic dysreflexia is a clinical emergency syndrome of uncontrolled sympathetic output that can occur in patients who have a history of spinal cord injury. Despite its frequency in spinal cord injury patients, central nervous system complications are very rare. We report a man with traumatic high level incomplete spinal cord injury who suffered hypertensive right thalamic hemorrhage secondary to an episode of autonomic dysreflexia. Prompt recognition and removal of the triggering factor, the suprapubic catheter obstruction which led to hypertensive attack, the patient had a favorable functional outcome after the resorption of the hematoma and effective rehabilitation programme.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.85-89
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• 2011

Hyperhidrosis is common complication of spinal cord injury, but localized unilateral hyperhidrosis is relatively rare disorder without autonomic disreflexia. A 52-year-old man with a 10-month history of cervical injury induced tetraplegia complained of excessive intermittent left-sided sweating. The sweating occurred by urinary retention or without any autonomic dysreflexia. The patient sweated excessively on the left face and upper body. In the point of Differentiation of Syndrom (辨證), the patient was diagnosed as Gi-Heo-Hyeol-Eo (Pi-Wei-Qi-Xu 氣虛血瘀) and was administered revised Boyanghwano-tang (reserved Bu-Yang-Huan-Wu-tang), and he was almost complaint free during 4 month about none dysreflexial hyperhidrosis.