Risk factors predicting upper urinary tract deterioration in patients with spinal cord injury: A retrospective study

To determine the risk factors predicting upper urinary tract (UUT) deterioration in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Medical records of 303 SCI patients who referred to the urodynamic unit of a rehabilitation hospital between 1996 and 2003 were retrospectively reviewed. The data included general patient demographics, SCI characteristics, bladder management methods, serum creatinine level, presence of urinary tract infection, indwelling catheter time, radiological findings of upper and lower urinary tract, and video-urodynamic (VUD) findings. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine the risk factors predicting UUT deterioration. ROC analysis was done to determine the cut-off values of detrusor pressure and cystometric bladder capacity volume predicting UUT deterioration.

Complete data were available on 255 patients. Median patient age was 33 years (18-75). The leading causes of SCI were motor vehicle accidents (40%) and falls (29%). Upper urinary tract deterioration was determined in 63 patients (25%). Abnormal radiological LUT findings, the absence of antimuscarinic drug usage in the history, detrusor pressures greater than 75 cmH₂ O and cystometric bladder capacity less than 200 ml were found to be independent risk factors in logistic regression analysis. ROC analysis revealed that values ≥75 cmH₂ O for maximum detrusor pressure, <200 ml for bladder capacity, and >6 months for indwelling catheter time were cutoff values for UUT deterioration.

Abnormal radiological LUT findings, the absence of antimuscarinic drug usage, detrusor pressures ≥75 cmH₂ O, and cystometric bladder capacity <200 ml were independent risk factors predicting UUT deterioration SCI patients. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:653-658, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.