Higher Mean Arterial Pressure Values Correlate with Neurologic Improvement in Patients with Initially Complete Spinal Cord Injuries.

Background: Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) guidelines recommend to maintain mean arterial pressures (MAPs) above 85 mm Hg for 7 days following SCI to minimize spinal cord ischemia. Some physicians doubt that patients with initially complete injuries benefit.

Objective: To assess the relationship between MAP augmentation and neurologic improvement in SCI patients stratified by initial American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) score.