Original Article
Spinal Cord advance online publication 2 June 2009; doi: 10.1038/sc.2009.46
Urinary incontinence in spinal cord injured individuals 10–45 years after injury
R B Hansen1, F Biering-Sørensen1 and J Kvist Kristensen2
- 1Clinic for Spinal Cord Injuries, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark
- 2Department of Urology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark
Correspondence: Dr RB Hansen, Clinic for Spinal Cord Injuries, 2112, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Havnevej 25, Hornbæk DK-3100, Denmark. E-mail: rikke@dadlnet.dk
Received 18 March 2008; Revised 25 February 2009; Accepted 4 March 2009; Published online 2 June 2009.
Abstract
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.
Keywords:
paraplegia, tetraplegia, bladder-emptying method, intermittent catheterization, urinary incontinence
