Living With a Spinal Cord Injury

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There may be a time when you have a medical emergency and need to contact a doctor.

Be prepared to call your SCI provider,, or other emergency services if you or the person with the spinal cord injury (SCI) has the symptoms of autonomic dysreflexia, a syndrome in which there is a sudden onset of excessively high blood pressure. If you or a caregiver do not treat it promptly and correctly, it may lead to seizures, stroke, and even death. Symptoms include:

  • A pounding headache.
  • A flushed face and/or red blotches on the skin above the level of spinal injury.
  • Sweating above the level of spinal injury.
  • Nasal stuffiness.
  • Nausea.
  • A slow heart rate (bradycardia).
  • Goose bumps below the level of spinal injury.
  • Cold, clammy skin below the level of spinal injury.

Callor other emergency services if you fall or have another accident and you notice:

  • Swelling on a part of your body where you have no feeling or movement.
  • Increased muscle spasms or other signs of spasticity.

Call your doctor immediately if you have symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI). These include:

  • Fever and chills.
  • Nausea and vomiting.
  • Headache.
  • Reddish or pinkish urine.
  • Foul-smelling urine.
  • Cloudy urine.
  • Increased muscle spasms or other signs of spasticity.

Depending on your level of injury, you may also feel burning while urinating and/or pain or discomfort in the lower pelvic area, abdomen, or lower back.

Call your doctor immediately if you have the symptoms of pneumonia. These include:

  • Fever of 100°F (37.8°C) to 106°F (41.1°C).
  • Shaking chills.
  • Cough that often produces colored mucus from the lungs. Mucus may be rust-colored or green or tinged with blood. Older adults may have only a slight cough and no mucus.
  • Rapid, often shallow, breathing.
  • Chest wall pain, often made worse by coughing or deep breathing.
  • Fatigue and feelings of weakness (malaise).
  • Increased muscle spasms or other signs of spasticity.

Call your doctor for an appointment if you have a pressure sore and:

  • The skin is broken.
  • The sore has increased in size or is draining more.
  • It has increased in redness, or black areas are starting to form.
  • It starts to smell bad, and/or the drainage becomes a greenish color.
  • You have a fever.
By: Healthwise StaffLast Revised: February 16, 2011
Medical Review: Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine
Nancy Greenwald, MD - Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.

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