Urinary tract management in patients with incomplete cervical cord injury during the recovery phase

For patients with incomplete cervical cord injuries, appropriate urinary management based on an assessment of voiding and storage function of the bladder is necessary for a better prognosis, especially during the recovery phase. In our review of medical records of such patients, we identified factors related to recovery of bladder function and parameters for predicting prognosis.

In this study, we included 234 patients with incomplete cervical cord injuries admitted to Kanagawa Rehabilitation Hospital. Their medical records were retrospectively reviewed for various parameters related to final urinary management measures at discharge. Parameters included age, severity of paralysis, bladder function over time, urinary sensation and cystometry results.

Patients were managed using urethral catheterization, suprapubic cystostomy, clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) by oneself or care givers, CIC with occasional spontaneous voiding, or spontaneous voiding alone. Bladder function improved in majority of the patients during hospitalization. The severity of paralysis and urinary sensation are predictive parameters for improvement in voiding function. In patients who were admitted with catheterization but were discharged with spontaneous voiding, the period for recovery was 85.2 days on average (range 16-142 days).

Selection of urinary management measures for patients with incomplete cervical cord injuries can be performed adequately by considering the severity of paralysis and urinary sensation.