Clean intermittent catheterization in spinal cord injury patients: a followup study

A followup study on nonhospitalized spinal cord injury patients using clean intermittent catheterization was conducted to evaluate long-term clean intermittent catheterization for any genitourinary complications, and to institute and evaluate prompt management. A total of 50 patients (36 paraplegics and 14 quadriplegics) was followed for 3 months to 6.5 years (average followup 22 months). All patients had a baseline urodynamic study and renal scan before they were discharged from the hospital. Patients with a reflex bladder and sustained, high intravesical pressures (greater than 40 cm. water) were placed on anticholinergic medication to lower voiding pressures and maintain continence. Those on clean intermittent catheterization and condom drainage were also given alpha-blockers to achieve low pressure voiding and to control autonomic dysreflexia. Of 50 patients 43 (86%) acquired a total of 364 events of significant bacteriuria (10(4) or more colony-forming units per ml.) at a rate of 13.63 infections per 1,000 patient-days on clean intermittent catheterization. Subclinical symptoms for urinary tract infection were noted in 22 of the 43 patients (51%), whereas clinical symptoms for urinary tract infection were recorded in 16 of 43 (37%). These symptoms included fever in 8 patients, chills in 3, hematuria in 3 and flank pain in 2. There were 31 genitourinary complications in 21 patients noted during periodic diagnostic evaluations, with 6 classified as upper tract. Of 50 patients 4 (8%) required rehospitalization for urological problems. One patient died of questionable sepsis. Transurethral sphincterotomy was performed in 15 of the 50 patients (30%) and transurethral prostatectomy was done in 1 for multiple reasons, for example high intravesical voiding pressures, difficult catheterization, repeated symptomatic urinary tract infections or per patient request to discontinue clean intermittent catheterization. Of 7 patients who were catheterized by others 4 elected to discontinue long-term clean intermittent catheterization after an average of 13 months. Overall, 33 patients (66%) discontinued clean intermittent catheterization and 17 are still being followed on a long-term basis. Clean intermittent catheterization is a successful long-term option to drain bladders in spinal cord injury patients who can perform catheterization independently.