Diastolic blood pressure changes during episodes of autonomic dysreflexia

Autonomic dysreflexia (AD) is a condition that occurs in people with spinal cord injuries at or above the T6 level. It is characterized by a sudden increase in blood pressure in response to a stimulus below the level of injury. The current definition of AD focuses on increases in systolic blood pressure (SBP), but this study investigates the role of diastolic blood pressure (DBP) changes during AD episodes. The study found that DBP often rises along with SBP during AD, and sometimes DBP rises even when SBP does not meet the criteria for AD. This suggests that DBP may be an important factor in identifying and understanding AD.

• 1
  A significant rise in DBP (>10 mmHg) was observed in the majority (76.2%) of urodynamic tests where AD was present, as defined by a SBP increase of >20 mmHg.
• 2
  A considerable number of cases (23.8%) had an isolated DBP increase of >10 mmHg without a rise of SBP of >20 mmHg.
• 3
  There was a rise in DBP of ≥20 mmHg in 50% (61/122) of tests with AD, with only 5% (8/160) of tests without AD having this level of rise.