Cardiovascular Regulation With an upper (thoracic vertebral level 6 and higher)
ID: 3513670 • Letter: C
Question
Cardiovascular Regulation
With an upper (thoracic vertebral level 6 and higher) spinal cord injury, it is possible for patients to develop autonomic dysreflexia. In this life-threatening syndrome, a strong sensory input (commonly full bladder) causes a surge of sympathetic response.
A.) What would that do to the blood pressure and heart rate?
B.) What would the baroreflex response be and what path would it take to accomplish its effect?
With the spinal injury, signals from the brain’s vascular control center can’t get through to the sympathetic system.
C.) With the body’s attempt to compensate, what would happen with the blood pressure and heart rate?
If left untreated, autonomic dysreflexia can result in cerebral hemorrhage, pulmonary edema, myocardial infarction, and renal insufficiency -among other things.
D.) What causes the damage if it continues?
Explanation / Answer
Answer A. In autonomic dysreflexia there is increase in blood pressure due to vasoconstriction occur in blood vessels of muscles and skin. To compansate high blood pressure, heart rate decrease.
Answer B. Baroreflex response would be to maintain normal blood pressure and heart rate via parasympathetic pathway because it is the defect of sympathetic pathway.
Answer C. With the bodies attempt to compansate, the blood pressure increases via vasoconstriction of the peripheral blood vessels and heart rate decrease to compansate hypertension.
Answer D. If left untreated, autonomic dysreflexia can result into seizure, Myocardial infarction or heart attack, hemorrhage, pulmonary edema. All these complications are due to increase in blood pressure.