Management of Postprandial Hypotension in a Tetraplegic Patient after Cervical Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract

Our aim was to present a case of postprandial hypotension in a tetraplegic patient with a cercal spinal cord lesion. A 43-year-old woman presented in the emergency room with tetraplegia after a motor vehicle crash. Radiologic studies showed dislocation at the C4-C5 level. Promptly, under general anesthesia, she underwent closed reduction, anterior cervical discectomy, and fusion at the C4-C5 level for stabilization. From the second day postoperatively, her systolic blood pressure was reduced from 120-150 mmHg to 40-60 mmHg when she made a positional change or after she ate. We tried administering a very slow and continuous infusion rate of a liquid meal (60 cc/h), and it was very effective in controlling PPH. In rare cases of PPH in a tetraplegic patient with a cervical spinal cord lesion, a very slow and continuous infusion rate of a liquid meal (60 cc/h) may be one effective management method.