Treatment of neurogenic bladder dysfunction in multiple sclerosis by ultrasound-controlled bladder training

Neurogenic bladder dysfunction, the main cause of chronic urinary tract infections in multiple sclerosis (MS), is efficiently treated by bladder training with ultrasound control of the residual urine. However, the beneficial effects of bladder training in the hospital are often lost within a short time when the patient returns to his home. Reexamination at home of 97 MS patients with increased residual urine and/or chronic urinary tract infections showed that the group which claimed to continue bladder training at home had significantly less residual urine at home than the group which did not continue bladder training at home. The residual urine decreased from 210 ml on average to almost normal while the patients did bladder training in the hospital, but the volume nearly doubled within a short time at home. Thus, more decentralized rehabilitation by family members, volunteer personnel or local nurses is necessary. Decentralized symptomatic therapy is the most efficient treatment of MS at present. Family members. volunteers, and local nurses, however, need training. Without these improvements in decentralized rehabilitation the hospital treatment of MS is of little benefit because urinary tract infection quickly recurs at home. For efficient bladder training the patient needs feedback regarding the residual urine; this can be provided with minimum risk by ultrasound sonocystography. In those rare cases in which bladder training does not work, intermittent catheterization must be carried out by the patients or their families, volunteer personnel or a local nurse. A continuous indwelling catheter should not be used. antibiotic treatment should be applied only on the basis of a precise bacteriological diagnosis.