Urological long-term follow-up in women with spinal cord injuries

One hundred eight women and 434 men admitted with spinal cord injuries between 1973 and 1987 were observed prospectively to determine the effects of age, sex, neurological classification, and method of bladder management method on renal function and urological complications. The primary method of bladder management for women throughout the study period was indwelling urethral catheterization as compared to condom drainage for their male counterparts. Renal function was determined by effective renal plasma flow and urological complications were determined by clinical symptoms and/or objective findings on intravenous pyelography (IVP). Analysis reveals that as in the general population advancing age and being female were significantly associated with lower ERPF (p < .05). Only in men were neurological classification (quadriplegia) and bladder management (ileoconduit) associated with significant decreases in ERPF (p < .05). Furthermore, women and men showed no significant differences in urological complication rates. From the data it can be concluded that there is no particular method of bladder management for women that necessarily leads to impaired renal function.