Autonomic Dysreflexia: Evaluation and Management

Autonomic dysreflexia (AD) is a medical emergency characterized by an acute, imbalanced autonomic response to specific stimuli in patients with a spinal cord injury (SCI) above T5 to T6. AD requires an early recognition and prompt treatment to prevent any devastating complications or even death. Patients with SCI are frequently encountered in clinical practice, but a significant number of physicians are not knowledgeable about AD or the relatively basic set of guidelines recommended for its management. In this review, we discuss the pathophysiology as well as the diagnosis and management of AD.