What condition might an SCI patient experience with a drop in heart rate and blood pressure when upright?

The condition that an individual with a spinal cord injury (SCI) might experience when there is a drop in heart rate and blood pressure upon standing is orthostatic hypotension. This phenomenon occurs when the body is unable to adequately adjust blood pressure and heart rate in response to changes in position, such as moving from lying down to standing up. In individuals with SCI, particularly those with injuries at the thoracic level and above, there can be disruption to the autonomic nervous system, which impairs the body's normal ability to regulate blood flow and pressure.

As the person stands, gravity causes blood to pool in the lower extremities, which can lead to a significant drop in blood pressure. The body typically responds by increasing heart rate and constricting blood vessels to maintain perfusion to vital organs. However, in individuals with SCI, this compensatory response may be diminished or absent, resulting in symptoms like dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting.

In contrast, orthostatic hypertension refers to an abnormal increase in blood pressure when a person stands. Autonomic dysreflexia is a serious condition that can occur in individuals with SCI, typically characterized by a dangerously high rise in blood pressure due to stimuli below the level of injury, and it does not