Urinary incontinence in spinal cord injured individuals 10-45 years after injury

作者：Hansen R B^*; Biering Sorensen F; Kristensen J Kvist

来源：Spinal Cord, 2010, 48(1): 27-33.

DOI：10.1038/sc.2009.46

• paraplegia
• tetraplegia
• bladder-emptying method
• intermittent catheterization
• urinary incontinence

Study design: Epidemiological follow-up study.
Objective: To evaluate urinary incontinence and its management in a population of individuals with long-term spinal cord injury (SCI).
Setting: Clinic for Spinal Cord Injuries and Department of Urology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark.
Methods: Retrospective data collection from the patient records and information from a follow-up questionnaire of traumatic SCI individuals at least 10 years after injury. A total of 236 patients participated (84.6% response), 82% males and 18% females, 47% tetraplegic and 53% paraplegic, injured between 1956 and 1990. Age at the time of follow-up was 28-84 years (mean 50.5 years). Years of follow-up were 10-45 years (mean 24.1 years).
Results: A total of 43% of the participants reported incontinence from less than once a week to daily. There was a significant linear trend across the groups of incontinence with more paraplegics reporting daily incontinence compared with tetraplegics. A higher proportion of participants using clean intermittent catheterization reported incontinence (56%) compared with participants using other bladder-emptying methods. Only 19% of the participants used medication for the management of incontinence.
Conclusion: Urinary incontinence is a common problem in individuals with SCI. Only a minority of individuals used medication for the treatment of incontinence.
Sponsorship: This study was carried out as a part of the primary author's PhD study, financed by the Medicon Valley Academy and Coloplast A/S. Spinal Cord (2010) 48, 27-33; doi:10.1038/sc.2009.46; published online 2 June 2009

• 出版日期2010-1