The study is designed to investigate whether autonomic shifts (dysautonomia, sympatho-vagal instability) that develop after SCI have value in predicting SCI-associated infections (SCI-AI). SCI-AI impair outcomes by (1) reducing the intrinsic neurological recovery potential and (2) increasing mortality. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) data will be tracked in both the time and frequency domains to discriminate between the relative contribution of sympathetic and parasympathetic innervation to changes in HRV. The ability to predict infections will enable novel treatments thereby reducing infection-associated mortality and improving neurological and functional outcomes.
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Sympatho-vagal instability as an identifier for patients at risk for Spinal Cord Injury Associated Infections
Timeframe: At all study time-points for a period of 24hours.