Pulmonary obstruction in individuals with cervical spinal cord lesions unmasked by bronchodilator administration

In subjects with spinal cord injury (SCI) a restrictive ventilatory impairment has been well described. Despite numerous studies of pulmonary function in patients with SCI, evidence of an obstructive component of respiratory dysfunction as a result of paralysis has not been observed in this populati...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Paraplegia 1993-06, Vol.31 (6), p.404-407
Main Authors: SPUNGEN, A. M, DICPINIGAITIS, P. V, ALMENOFF, P. L, BAUMAN, W. A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Airway Obstruction - diagnosis
Airway Obstruction - etiology
Biological and medical sciences
Bronchodilator Agents
Humans
Injuries of the nervous system and the skull. Diseases due to physical agents
Male
Medical sciences
Metaproterenol
Middle Aged
Regression Analysis
Respiratory Function Tests
Smoking - physiopathology
Spinal Cord Injuries - complications
Spirometry
Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents
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Summary:In subjects with spinal cord injury (SCI) a restrictive ventilatory impairment has been well described. Despite numerous studies of pulmonary function in patients with SCI, evidence of an obstructive component of respiratory dysfunction as a result of paralysis has not been observed in this population. We performed spirometry in 34 patients with cervical SCI before and after administration of an inhaled bronchodilator. Significant improvement in flow rate was demonstrated in 14 (41%) subjects. Our results suggest that transection of the cervical spine may result in obstruction to air flow, possibly due to interruption of the sympathetic innervation of the lung with resultant unopposed parasympathetic tone producing bronchoconstriction.
ISSN:0031-1758
1362-4393
1476-5624
DOI:10.1038/sc.1993.67