Help With A Trauma Patient Case

JentheRN05, RN · Nov 14, 2006

sounds like AD but there's other symptoms to watch for as well. good luck

AuntieRN · Nov 14, 2006

I agree with JentheRN05. Sounds like AD.

Dinith88 · Nov 19, 2006

Hi, i need help with this case my instructor gave use. A patient who has spinal cord injury has not voided for 6-8 hours, it is a medical injury, what do you call that medical injury and what would you do? When doing my research i came across spinal shock and AUTONOMIC DYSREFLEXIA. Could the patient be having AD? i am not so sure with my answer if it is right , please someone help me if i am on the right track. Unfortunately that is the only info my teacher gave and no specifics. THank you in advance

NO. Not Autonomic Dysreflexia

The answer is probably neurogenic bladder. Neurogenic bladder is an inability to void d/t nerve damage (in this case it's trauma).

Autonomic Dysreflexia is more of a systemic response (seen in spinal cord injury) ...which can be triggered by various stuff...and can be an emergency

because of hypertensive crisis.

just google 'neurogenic bladder' and 'autonomic dysreflexia'.

Dinith88 · Nov 19, 2006

NO. Not Autonomic Dysreflexia
The answer is probably neurogenic bladder. Neurogenic bladder is an inability to void d/t nerve damage (in this case it's trauma).
Autonomic Dysreflexia is more of a systemic response (seen in spinal cord injury) ...which can be triggered by various stuff...and can be an emergency
because of hypertensive crisis.
just google 'neurogenic bladder' and 'autonomic dysreflexia'.

just a clarification in case you mean something different... autonomic dysreflexia can be CAUSED by an over-full bladder in spinal-cord injured patients.... but to say a spinal-cord injured patient is having AD because

he hasnt voided is wrong...

(The only symptom you give is innability to void)

Tweety, BSN, RN · Nov 19, 2006

just a clarification in case you mean something different... autonomic dysreflexia can be CAUSED by an over-full bladder in spinal-cord injured patients.... but to say a spinal-cord injured patient is having AD because
he hasnt voided is wrong...
(The only symptom you give is innability to void)

Agree. The inability to void is probably neurogenic.

A full bladder can lead to AD, but the OP hasn't listed any of the symptoms of AD.

The OP can focus on the fact that the bladder needs to be emptied to prevent this complication.

SEOBowhntr · Jan 30, 2007

Agree. The inability to void is probably neurogenic.
A full bladder can lead to AD, but the OP hasn't listed any of the symptoms of AD.
The OP can focus on the fact that the bladder needs to be emptied to prevent this complication.

Agreed, but I've also seen patients who had pretty severe vasovagal responses after an inability to void and having very full bladders. One case the patient was scanned for 1500cc's of Urine!!!!! Bad thing about him was that we had to have a urologist do numerous dilitations to even place a catheter, which made him all that much more miserable!!!

With the vague information, there are more questions than answers. Was the patient hyper- or hypotensive????

BBFRN, BSN, PhD · Jan 30, 2007

I agree that it's neurogenic bladder. The pt has only gone 6-8 hrs without voiding. I do that every day at work...lol.

NicoleRN07, RN · Jan 31, 2007

I agree...neurogenic bladder