Detrusor hyperreflexia and bacteriuria

In a retrospective study of 579 patients with cystometrically proven detrusor hyperreflexia bacteriuria was correlated to the commonly accepted etiologies, and to the duration and amplitude of the uninhibited bladder contractions. Blood flow in the bladder wall may be reduced by increased intravesical pressure due to detrusor hyperreflexia, and it has been suggested that a resulting weakening of antibacterial defense mechanisms is responsible for the majority of urinary tract infections in these patients. We have not been able to confirm this hypothesis. We found no statistically significant difference between the incidence of bacteriuria in patients with low amplitude and short duration of the bladder contractions and in patients with high amplitude and long duration of the uninhibited bladder contractions.