The Most Common Trigger for Autonomic Dysreflexia

GI & Hepatic · Question from the ATI RN Medical-Surgical 2023 Proctored Exam study set

Correct answer: B. Full bladder

Why this is the answer

A distended bladder (or an impacted bowel) is by far the most common trigger for autonomic dysreflexia — the noxious stimulus below the level of injury sets off an exaggerated, uncontrolled sympathetic response the body can't regulate normally. Loud noises (A) aren't a recognized trigger for this reflex. A cold room (C) isn't a typical trigger either, though temperature extremes can occasionally play a minor role compared to bladder/bowel distension. A high-protein diet (D) has no established link to triggering autonomic dysreflexia.

The bigger concept

Autonomic dysreflexia occurs in spinal cord injuries at T6 or above because the injury disconnects the brain's ability to regulate the sympathetic response below that level — so the first nursing action when it's suspected is always to check for and relieve the most common causes (a kinked catheter, a full bladder, or constipation) before anything else.

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