Cardiovascular Measurements at Baseline and During Cystometry in Pediatric Spinal Cord Injury

Following spinal cord injury (SCI), the body loses normal control of blood pressure and heart rate, and there is a risk of sudden and dangerous increases in blood pressure, namely, autonomic dysreflexia (AD). It is important to be aware of baseline blood pressures and heart rates in individuals in order to detect AD. However, baseline values vary in developing children, and may be more variable in children with SCI. Thus, the objective of this study is to determine baseline blood pressure and heart rate measurements in children with SCI during rest and during urodynamic testing.

The investigators hypothesize that 1) blood pressures will increase with increasing age and body mass index; 2) heart rate will decrease with increasing age; 3) blood pressures will increase with increase in bladder filling; 4) blood pressures will increase will increase with increasing duration of injury.