International standards to document remaining autonomic Function in persons with SCI and neurogenic bowel dysfunction: Illustrative cases

Abstract

Introduction: Neurogenic bowel dysfunction (NBD) is a highly prevalent problem after spinal cord injury, with potential for significant impact on health and quality of life. The international standards to document remaining autonomic function after SCI were developed to standardize communication between professionals regarding neurogenic bowel and other autonomic function after SCI. To improve understanding of the bowel subsection, illustrative cases are presented. Case presentation: Three cases are presented which illustrate differences in presentation and scoring of the elements in the data set based upon varying injury severity and location. Discussion: Determination of neurologic level of injury is insufficient for assessment of autonomic function and there is no direct method of assessment. Hence, surrogate makers are needed. The bowel subsection of the International standards to document remaining autonomic function in persons with SCI is an easy-to-use tool for this purpose.