A nurse is caring for a client who has an acute spinal cord injury. Which of the following findings should the nurse recognize as autonomic dysreflexia?

A. Decrease in blood pressure: Autonomic dysreflexia is characterized by a sudden increase in blood pressure, not a decrease. Hypotension is more typical of spinal shock, making low blood pressure inconsistent with autonomic dysreflexia. B. Increase in heart rate: During autonomic dysreflexia, the body often responds with bradycardia rather than tachycardia due to baroreceptor-mediated parasympathetic activation. An elevated heart rate is not a typical sign of this condition. C. Client report of eye twitching: Eye twitching is not associated with autonomic dysreflexia. This symptom may indicate a neurological or electrolyte issue, but it does not help identify the acute hypertensive crisis characteristic of autonomic dysreflexia. D. Client report of sudden headache: A sudden, severe headache is a hallmark symptom of autonomic dysreflexia caused by abrupt hypertension. This finding, along with other signs such as flushed skin, nasal congestion, and sweating above the level of injury, indicates the need for immediate intervention to prevent complications such as stroke.