Autonomic dysreflexia triggered by breastfeeding in a tetraplegic mother
Fras Dakhil-Jerew1, Susan Brook, Fadel Derry
1National Spinal Injuries Centre, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury, UK. fdjerew@yahoo.com
Objective:
To highlight an unusual cause of autonomic dysreflexia in tetraplegia and present a review of the literature.
Study Design:
Case report of a patient in Stoke Mandeville Hospital, UK.
Methods:
A 33-year-old woman with C6 incomplete tetraplegia presented with signs and symptoms of autonomic dysreflexia attributed to breastfeeding.
Results:
Cessation of breastfeeding was effective in stopping autonomic dysreflexia.
Conclusion:
Autonomic dysreflexia is associated with a significant risk of morbidity and mortality. Identification of the triggering cause is vital in order to prevent further complications. Breastfeeding is an unusual and unexpected cause of autonomic dysreflexia.
Related Concept Videos
The Micturition Reflex
The process begins with bladder filling, where the bladder wall stretches as urine accumulates. This stretching activates the urine storage reflex, mediated by the sacral spinal segments and the pontine storage center. Efferent sympathetic impulses stimulate the detrusor muscle to relax and the internal urethral sphincter to contract, facilitating urine...
Disorders of the Autonomic Nervous System
Raynaud's disease, also known as Raynaud's phenomenon, is a...
Somatic Spinal Reflexes
One of the most well-known somatic spinal reflexes is the stretch reflex, which is activated by the sudden stretching of a muscle. This reflex involves the activation of specialized sensory receptors called muscle spindles, which are located in the muscle tissue and detect changes in the length and speed of muscle contractions. When a muscle is suddenly...
Reflex Activity
A reflex exam is a diagnostic procedure performed by a healthcare professional to evaluate the functionality of a patient's...
Tetanus
Botulism

