Use of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in adolescents with SCI: a case series

Abstract

Introduction: Due the impact of maturation on cardiovascular hemodynamics the degree of cardiovascular dysfunction, attributable to spinal cord injury (SCI), in the pediatric and adolescent population remains unclear. While few studies have begun to assess this, there is still a void in the literature regarding the prevalence of cardiovascular dysfunction and how best to identify and treat it in this population. Case presentation: The purpose of this case series is to present the cardiovascular profile of three adolescent patients with chronic SCI, ages 14-16, following 2 or 3 days of 24-h Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM). Discussion: We found that there are variations across the different cases in most cardiovascular hemodynamic categories and a clarification of the International Standards to document remaining Autonomic Function after Spinal Cord Injury (ISAFSCI) may be needed to accurately identify the remaining autonomic cardiovascular function in the adolescent SCI population.