Paroxysmal Sympathetic Hyperactivity: An Old but Unrecognized Condition

Abstract

Patients who survive a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can sometimes experience symptoms of excessive sympathetic discharge. Despite being known about for more than 60 years, the diagnostic criteria for this condition have only recently been defined under the name "paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity". Failure to recognize this syndrome leads to excessive costs, prolonged hospital stays and delayed recovery for TBI patients. This case report describes a patient whose specific rehabilitation program was affected by a failure to identify this entity, even though he presented with many of the characteristics of this condition.

Keywords

• Paroxysmal Sympathetic Activity (PSH), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Fever, beta-blocker