Evaluation of the Level of Knowledge About Autonomic Dysreflexia in an Intensive Care Unit
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25759/spmfr.229Keywords:
Autonomic Dysreflexia, Critical Care, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Spinal Cord Injuries, Surveys and QuestionnairesAbstract
Introduction: This study aims to determine the level of knowledge of autonomic dysreflexia, its causes and symptoms, treatment and complications, in health care professionals in the hospital setting, namely doctors and nurses of the Intensive Care Unit.
Material and Methods: The study design involved the creation of a questionnaire, adapted from two other questionnaires previously published. It was distributed and available both in paper and digital formats and was applied to the doctors and nurses of the Intensive Care Unit.
Results: A total of 52 health care professionals completed the questionnaire (7 doctors and 45 nurses). About 43% (n = 3) of doctors and 60% (n = 27) of nurses had never heard the term autonomic dysreflexia. Only 3 nurses and 1 doctor had pre-graduate education on autonomic dysreflexia. All nurses with Rehabilitation specialty (n = 4) have heard the term autonomic dysreflexia and had higher scores than the other nurses. All the inquired would like to have more information about autonomic dysreflexia.
Conclusion: Autonomic dysreflexia is considered a medical emergency and should be immediately recognized and treated, in order to prevent serious complications. It is still under-recognized by health care professionals outside of the rehabilitation field and there is generally little, if any, undergraduate or postgraduate training on spinal cord injury. Even though autonomic dysreflexia usually occurs in the chronic phase of the lesion, it can be present in the first days or weeks, and it is believed that it is still under-recognized in this phase. All health care professionals who deal with spinal cord injury patients should be alert to this condition, since it is a potential medical emergency, beyond rehabilitation care.
Downloads
References
Teasell RW, Arnold JM, Krassioukov A, Delaney GA. Cardiovascular consequences of loss of supraspinal control of the sympathetic nervous system after spinal cord injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2000; 81:506–16.
Krassioukov A, Claydon VE. The clinical problems in cardiovascular control following spinal cord injury: an overview. Prog Brain Res. 2006;152:223–29.
Krassioukov A, Warburton DE, Teasell R, Eng JJ; Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Evidence Research Team. A systemic review of the management of autonomic dysreflexia after spinal cord injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2009;90:682-95.
Jackson CR, Acland R. Knowledge of autonomic dysreflexia in the emergency department. Emerg Med J. 2011; 28:866-9.
Sullivan AL, Morgan C, Bailey J. Dental professionals’ knowledge about treatment of patients with spinal cord injury. Spec Care Dentist. 2009; 29:117-22.
Krassioukov AV, Furlan JC, Fehlings MG. Autonomic dysreflexia in acute spinal cord injury: an under-recognized clinical entity. J Neurotrauma. 2003; 20:707-16.
Silver JR. Early autonomic dysreflexia. Spinal Cord. 2000;38:229-33.
Consortium for Spinal Cord Medicine. Paralyzed Veterans of America. Acute management of autonomic dysreflexia: individuals with spinal cord injury presenting to health-care facilities. 2nd ed. Washington:Paralyzed Veterans of America; 2001.
Downloads
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright statement
Authors must also submit a copyright statement (as seen below) on article submission.
To the Editor-in-chief of the SPMFR Journal:
The below signed author(s) hereby state that the article
________________________________________ (ref. MFR_________) is
an original unpublished work and all facts stated are a product of the author(s) investigation. This article does not violate any copyright laws or privacy statements. The author(s) also hereby confirm that there is no conflict of interest's issues in this article.
By submitting this article the author(s) agree that after publication all copyrights belong to the SPMFR Journal.
Signed by all authors
Date:
Names (capital letters):
Signatures:
The SPMFR Journal’s contents are follow a Creative Commons licence. After publication the authors can hand out the articles as long as the SPMFR Journal is credited.
