Time Burden of Bladder Management in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury

Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil, 2021 · DOI: 10.46292/sci20-00007 · Published: July 1, 2021

Spinal Cord Injury Urology Rehabilitation

Simple Explanation

Following a spinal cord injury, bladder function is often impaired, affecting the individual's quality of life. Managing the neurogenic bladder can be a substantial burden. Clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) is considered the gold standard for bladder management after SCI. However, many individuals discontinue CIC long-term. This study investigates the time burden of different bladder management strategies in individuals with SCI. It hypothesizes that CIC has a significantly increased time requirement compared to other techniques.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

87 individuals with spinal cord injury

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
CIC takes significantly longer time to perform on a daily basis than indwelling catheter usage, about three times higher per day.
2
Women with higher BMIs experienced a significant increase in catheterization times compared to normal weight women.
3
Individuals with cervical SCI reported longer catheterization times compared to those with thoracic or lumbosacral injuries.

Research Summary

This study investigated the time burden of different bladder management strategies in individuals with SCI. The primary goal was to determine the self-reported time burden of different bladder management strategies in individuals with SCI. The study found that CIC requires significantly more time per day compared to indwelling catheters. It also noted that obesity in women and cervical SCI are associated with longer catheterization times. The findings suggest that the time burden of CIC may contribute to decreased bladder-specific QOL and increased CIC dropout rates. This information can be used to help counsel individuals with SCI about bladder management.

Practical Implications

Counseling for SCI Patients

Provide realistic expectations regarding the time commitment required for different bladder management techniques, especially CIC.

Targeted Interventions

Develop strategies to reduce catheterization time for women with higher BMIs and individuals with cervical SCI.

QOL Improvement

Explore ways to improve bladder-specific QOL by addressing the inconvenience and time burden associated with CIC.

Study Limitations

1
Low response rate to the survey instrument
2
Long period of time since SCI in most participants, potentially underestimating bladder management times in those with more recent injury.
3
Time measurements were self-reported and not directly measured, leading to potential recall bias.

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