Korean J Urol.  1999 Dec;40(12):1651-1655.

Effect of Terazosin for the Treatment of Autonomic Dysreflexta in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury

• Park BJ
• Lim YS
• Shim HB

Abstract

PURPOSE: Autonomic dysreflexia represents one of the most serious medical emergencies in the care and rehabilitation of patients with spinal cord injury. We evaluated the effect of terazosin for the prevention of symptoms due to autonomic dysreflexia in patients with spinal cord injury.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The effect of terazosin was evaluated in 20 spinal cord injury patients with autonomic dysreflexia. All patients received terazosin as the only medication for the autonomic dysreflexia. Baseline measurements of blood pressure, the autonomic dysreflexia severity score and autonomic dysreflexia frequency score were recorded before terazoxin medication. Follow-up measurements were taken at 1 week, 1 month and 3 month after medication. All the data were statistically evaluated and the following results were obtained.
RESULTS
The majority of patients(95%) had manifested headache and sweating. The autonomic dysreflexia severity score after terazosin medication decreased from an average of 9.0+/-0.6 at baseline to 6.8+/-0.7, 5.2+/-0.7 and 4.9+/-0.6 at 1 week, 1 month and 3 months repectively(p=0.001). And the autonomic dysreflexia frequency score after terazosin medication decreased from an average of 2.4+/-0.5 to 1.2+/-0.4 at 3 months.
CONCLUSION
Tetazosin appears to be effective in preventing symptoms due to autonomic dysreflexia.

Keyword

Autonomic dysreflexia; Spinal cord injury; Terazosin

MeSH Terms

Autonomic Dysreflexia
Blood Pressure
Emergencies
Follow-Up Studies
Headache
Humans
Rehabilitation
Spinal Cord Injuries*
Spinal Cord*
Sweat
Sweating