Prevention of Orthostatic Hypotension With Electric Stimulation in Persons With Acute SCI

Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil20 enrolled

Overview

Background: The presence of orthostatic hypotension (OH) as a consequence of blood volume redistribution during verticalisation in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) is a common condition. Aims: To investigate the impact of three different types of electric stimulation (ES) (ES of the abdominal muscles versus ES of lower limb muscles versus simultaneously ES of abdominal and lower limb muscles versus control) on blood pressure stabilization and verticalisation-degrees between 0° and 70°. The hypothesis is, that the ES-induced contractions of the muscles cause a stabilisation respectively an increase of the blood pressure during the tilt-table test. Subjects: 20 Women and men, at least 18 years of age, following an acute and traumatic SCI, with a lesion level above T6, an American Spinal Injury Association (AIS) Impairment Scale A,B or C and a diagnosis of OH (by tilt table test) were eligible for the study. Methods: Each patient underwent randomly three different types of ES sessions while being positioned on a tilt-table. The following sessions were planned: A) ES of the abdominal muscles B) ES of the lower limb muscles C) Combination of A and B D) Control session (=diagnostic session) Study type: Intervention Design: Prospective interventional study

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Spinal Cord Injury Orthostatic Hypotension

Interventions

ES of the abdominal musclesPROCEDURE

ES was applied with surface electrodes and fixed stimulation parameters with individual mA, depending on each patients´ sensibility.

ES of the limb musclesPROCEDURE

Lower limb muscles were stimulated to produce a milking mechanism from the distal to proximal part of the limb to pump the venous blood from the peripheral to the central part of the body

ES of limbs & abdomenPROCEDURE

The combination of the ES of the lower limb muscles and the abdominal muscles.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * inpatients * positive diagnosis of OH * acute traumatic SCI * lesion level above T6 * AIS A, B or C Exclusion Criteria: * fractures of the lower limbs * decubitus (NPUAP \>2) * massive psychiatric dysfunction * suicide intention

Locations (1)

Swiss Paraplegic Center

Nottwil, Canton of Lucerne, Switzerland

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

blood pressure [mmHg]

Time frame: 1 day (single measurement at each arm )

Secondary Outcomes

Heart rate

Time frame: 1 day (single measurement at each arm )

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.