A man who sustained a cervical spinal cord injury 2 days ago suddenly develops severe hypertension and bradycardia.He reports severe head pain and blurred vision.The most likely explanation for these clinical manifestations is that he is:
A)experiencing acute anxiety.
B)developing spinal shock.
C)developing autonomic hyperreflexia.
D)experiencing parasympathetic areflexia.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Autonomic hyperreflexia is characterized by paroxysmal hypertension (up to 300 mm Hg systolic), a pounding headache, blurred vision, sweating above the level of the lesion with flushing of the skin, nasal congestion, nausea, piloerection caused by pilomotor spasm, and bradycardia (30 to 40 beats/minute).

A Man Who Sustained a Cervical Spinal Cord Injury 2