Management of the neuropathic bladder by clean intermittent catheterisation: 5 year outcomes

Based on a telephone interview and medical record review of the urological outcomes among 40 spinal cord injury patients with a neuropathic bladder at discharge who were an average of 60 months post-injury and who were all initially managed by chronic clean intermittent catheterisation (CCIC), the following conclusions were made: Over 80% of patients using CCIC at discharge continued to use it, suggesting low morbidity and high patient acceptance; Urological complications in patients using CCIC were more frequent in the lower urinary tract than in the upper urinary tract, were more frequent in men than women, and had a low morbidity; Urological complications and hospitalisations were more frequent among the 41% of patients using CCIC who had frequent SxUTIs; SxUTIs were common in patients using CCIC but rates may be comparable with other methods; Although 44% of CCIC patients were hospitalised at least once in 5 years for urological complications, this is comparable to reported multi-centre outcomes in the U.S.A. (Young, 1982).