Examples are a distended bowel or bladder, pressure on the skin, or any of a number of noxious stimuli. Once the symptoms of autonomic dysreflexia are manifest, emergency care is indicated. Efforts are made to lower the blood pressure by placing the patient in a sitting position or elevating the head and upper body to a 45-degree angle. The stimulus must be identified and removed as gently and quickly as possible. The physician is notified so that appropriate medical intervention can be initiated.
Antihypertensive drugs are a last resort.
As soon as the cause is identified and removed, the dysreflexia will disappear. Patients who experience repeated attacks may require surgery to sever the nerves responsible for the exaggerated response to stimulation. All rights reserved.