A 32-year-old man suffers a spinal cord injury with a resultant paraplegia in a motorcycle accident. He presents to the emergency room with hypotension. Which of the following statement(s) is/are true concerning his diagnosis and management?
A. The low blood pressure can be assumed to be due to neurogenic shock
B. The sole cause of hypotension is the loss of sympathetic input to the venous system
C. Despite significant hypotension, secondary organ injury will be uncommon
D. There is no role for pharmacologic intervention to maintain blood pressure
Answer:C
A 32-year-old man suffers a spinal cord injury with a resultant paraplegia in a motorcycle accident. He presents to the emergency room with hypotension. Which of the following statement(s) is/are true concerning his diagnosis and management?
A. The low blood pressure can be assumed to be due to neurogenic shock B. The sole cause of hypotension is the loss of sympathetic input to the venous system C. Despite significant hypotension, secondary organ injury will be uncommon D. There is no role for pharmacologic intervention to maintain blood pressure