Which condition can occur with cervical spine injury due to autonomic disruption?

Which condition can occur with cervical spine injury due to autonomic disruption?

• A. Pneumonia
• B. Anaphylaxis
• C. Neurogenic shock
• D. Angina

Answer: (C)

Autonomic disruption from a cervical spine injury can lead to neurogenic shock. When the injury interrupts the brain’s and spinal cord’s sympathetic outflow, the blood vessels below the injury lose tone and dilate. That vasodilation drops systemic vascular resistance, causing low blood pressure, and the heart may slow down (bradycardia) because the sympathetic input that would speed it up is gone. This combination—hypotension with possible bradycardia—fits neurogenic shock and is a direct result of the autonomic disruption from the cervical injury. Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs, not a direct result of spinal autonomic disruption. Anaphylaxis is a systemic allergic reaction causing widespread vasodilation and airway symptoms, but it arises from immune mechanisms rather than spinal cord injury. Angina is chest pain from reduced blood flow to the heart muscle, typically due to coronary artery disease, not a consequence of autonomic disruption from a cervical injury.

Autonomic disruption from a cervical spine injury can lead to neurogenic shock. When the injury interrupts the brain’s and spinal cord’s sympathetic outflow, the blood vessels below the injury lose tone and dilate. That vasodilation drops systemic vascular resistance, causing low blood pressure, and the heart may slow down (bradycardia) because the sympathetic input that would speed it up is gone. This combination—hypotension with possible bradycardia—fits neurogenic shock and is a direct result of the autonomic disruption from the cervical injury.

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs, not a direct result of spinal autonomic disruption. Anaphylaxis is a systemic allergic reaction causing widespread vasodilation and airway symptoms, but it arises from immune mechanisms rather than spinal cord injury. Angina is chest pain from reduced blood flow to the heart muscle, typically due to coronary artery disease, not a consequence of autonomic disruption from a cervical injury.