Goals of bladder management
Most people with spinal cord injury (SCI) have some degree of ongoing bladder dysfunction.
The goal of bladder management following SCI is to achieve a bladder emptying program that is tailored to the individual, and compatible with their lifestyle and activities of daily living.
Successful bladder management will:
- Achieve regular emptying
- Avoid high pressures in the renal tracts
- Maintain continence
- Prevent and treat complications
Early bladder management
Once an SCI has been diagnosed, an indwelling urethral catheter should be inserted until bladder dysfunction can be further assessed. This includes people with a lower motor neurone (LMN) injury or cauda equina syndrome.
A person who sustains an injury at T6 or above should be on hourly urine measures until they are no longer in spinal shock and are considered to have adequate urine output.
An indwelling urethral catheter should remain insitu until an alternative method of bladder management us determined. This should be done in consultation with the rehabilitation and urology medical specialists, as well as the person with SCI. The considerations that will determine the best method of bladder management are outlined inĀ Choosing the method of bladder management.