In autonomic dysreflexia management, how frequently should blood pressure be monitored?

• A. Every 5 minutes
• B. Every 30 minutes
• C. Every hour
• D. Only once at diagnosis

Answer: (A)

Frequent blood pressure checks during autonomic dysreflexia are crucial because the blood pressure can rise quickly and dangerously in response to a noxious stimulus below a spinal cord injury. After taking initial steps (sitting up, removing the triggering factor, addressing the stimulus), you need to track BP at short intervals to confirm the crisis is resolving. Monitoring every 5 minutes lets you see whether the pressure is decreasing with interventions or if it remains high, signaling the need for additional treatment. Longer intervals risk missing ongoing hypertension, and checking only once at diagnosis fails to detect changes as the situation evolves. Therefore, the correct approach is to monitor blood pressure every 5 minutes.