Why are urinary catheters used?

Author: SCIRE Community Team | Reviewer: Bonnie Nybo | Published: 24 October 2017 | Updated: ~

Many people experience bladder problems after spinal cord injury. SCI can lead to a loss of coordination between the brain and bladder, which can lead to irregular draining and filling of the bladder known as neurogenic bladder

There are two main types of neurogenic bladder, which may involve either a bladder that does not have the reflexes to empty itself (flaccid bladder) or a bladder that has unpredictable reflexes that cause it to empty (spastic bladder). Neurogenic bladder can lead to leaking of urine, incomplete emptying, and overfilling of the bladder, which can stretch and damage the bladder and kidneys.

Urinary catheters are the main technique that is used to allow for bladder emptying in people with neurogenic bladder after SCI.

Complications of poor bladder management

Regularly draining the bladder is a very important part of taking care of the body after SCI. Several serious complications can happen if bladder management is not successful:

Image showing the urinary system. Bottom right image shows a person's abdomen with two bean-shaped kidneys connecting by tubes labelled 'ureters' to the bladder (just above the pubic bone). Enlargement top left shows the bladder surrounded by a smooth muscle labelled 'bladder wall muscle'. Urine is contained in the bladder. The bladder connect downward to a tube labelled 'urethra'. The exit of the bladder to the urethra has muscles surrounding it labelled 'bladder sphincter muscles'.

Urine may back up into the kidneys if the bladder overfills.2

• When the bladder is not emptied regularly, it can continue to fill and may back up into the kidneys, which can cause damage to the kidneys.

• Overfilling of the bladder can also trigger a dangerous blood pressure response in some people with injuries at T6 and above called autonomic dysreflexia.

• Poor bladder management can contribute to urinary tract infections, which, in severe cases can lead to a life-threatening blood infection called sepsis.

• Leakage of urine can also contribute to the development of pressure sores, which can also be susceptible to dangerous infections.