Long-term urethral catheterisation after spinal injury.

Abstract

A controlled study of the effect of long-term urethral catheterisation upon renal function has been undertaken in 40 paraplegic patients. All the catheterised patients had a normal blood urea and intravenous pyelogram whilst four of the control group showed evidence of impaired renal function. The catheterised patients were more likely than the controls to develop bladder stones, but these are easily crushed and removed and we believe that the hazards of the urethral catheter are less than those of imperfect bladder function and of operations for diversion of the urine.