Application of clean intermittent catheterization for neurogenic bladder in infants less than 1 year old.

Abstract

Neurogenic bladder (NB) is a common pediatric urological disease caused by a variety of neurological pathologies. Clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) has been the preferred method to empty bladder. To investigate the effect of CIC on preserving bladder and upper urinary tract function in infants less than 1year old with NB. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 76 infants with NB. Patients were divided into two groups according to treatment initiation: the early CIC group (ECG) (<1 year old) and the late CIC group (LCG) (>3 years old). Bladder compliance (BC), safe bladder capacity (SBC) and maximum cystometric capacity (MCC) were significantly higher in the ECG than those in the LCG at 6 years of follow-up respectively (P < 0.05). The frequencies of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) and urinary tract infection (UTI) in the ECG were significantly lower than those in the LCG (P < 0.05) at 6 years of follow-up. Two and nine patients exhibited mild renal damage in the ECG and LCG, respectively, resulting in a significant difference (P < 0.05) at 6 years of follow-up. Early CIC plays an important role in preserving bladder function and preventing UTI and renal deterioration in infants with NB, especially in the first year of life.