Autonomic hyperreflexia in spinal cord injured patients: trigger mechanism--dressing changes of pressure sores.

Autonomic hyperreflexia occurs in spinal cord injured patients. The mechanism involves spasticity of the autonomic nervous system. Somatic stimuli have been infrequently reported as triggering stimuli for autonomic hyperreflexia. This article reports on a patient who experienced autonomic hyperreflexia brought on by dressing changes of pressure ulcers. Also included is a discussion of current treatment modalities with special regard for clonidine, the drug used in the case report.