Why dry skin for spinal injury?

[Code 3]

I got some free time recently and decided to open the text book to freshen up on some information. While reading about the body's skin response to medical emergencies, I came across some information that wasn't fully explained. The book states that the body will display abnormally dry skin during a spinal injury and dehydration. I understand the dehydration part, but why for spinal injuries? Is it simply because there's nerve damage and the brain is unable to send out a signal to the skin? The book doesn't go into depth about the reasoning and I'm curious as to why it would be dry.

Thanks in advance.

 

[mycrofft]

Not an early finding, but maybe important in heat.

My understanding is that the nerves "operating", if you will, the sweat glands can be severed as well as sensory and motor nerves.
Taking a temp in hot weather with spinal injury might not be a bad idea if there has been a delay in cooling or accessing the pt.

 

[VentMedic]

Neurogenic shock is the loss of autonomic nervous system response.

The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for how the body responds to stress. This may result in bradycardia, hypotension (due to vasodilation), decrease in respiratory rate, warm and dry skin, and other nonsympathetic responses.

Depending on the level of injury, this also sets the body up far a very serious and possibly life threatening condition called Autonomic Dysreflexia.

 

[VentMedic]

Neurogenic shock is the loss of autonomic nervous system response.

The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for how the body responds to stress. If this is lost it may result in bradycardia, hypotension (due to vasodilation), decrease in respiratory rate, warm and dry skin, and other nonsympathetic responses.

Depending on the level of injury, this also sets the body up far a very serious and possibly life threatening condition called Autonomic Dysreflexia.

Correcting a typo.

 

[mycrofft]

I wonder if it also affects sebaceous glands?

............?

 

[VentMedic]

Yes they are part of the autonomic nervous system and sympathetic nervous system.

 

[mycrofft]

Yes and no, I had to look it up.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/582162_4
The erector pilii muscles (erects hair shafts and makes "goosebumps") which expell sebum are autonomically nnervated but the sebaceous glands pe se are not. So, the glands could still be producing sebum but it is not being expelled by contraction of the erector pilii.
Although here we are sort of splitting hairs (pun intended), drier skin would porbably be due mostly to lost sweat, but also to a lesser extent to slowed sebaceous expellation.