Intermittent catheterization and bladder rehabilitation in spinal cord injury patients

A review was made of 111 spinal cord injury patients who underwent bladder rehabilitation. The essential mode of treatment was intermittent catheterization. About 91 per cent of the patients were free of the catheter after 3 to 168 days of intermittent catheterization. Acute patients given an initial dosage of 30 to 40 mg. bethanechol chloride 3 times daily for 2 to 3 weeks recovered reflex activity in almost half the period (average of 32 days compared to 79 days). Modified sphincterotomy at the bladder neck was performed in 10 patients. This procedure improved the results to 98 per cent catheter-free reflex bladder status in the group of patients.