Clean intermittent catheterization in the management of the neurogenic bladder in children

Clean intermittent catheterization has been successful in the management of urinary incontinence and upper tract changes associated with a neurogenic bladder. The results of clean intermittent catheterization controlling urinary incontinence, ureteral reflux, upper tract dilatation and urinary infection in 84 children with a neurogenic bladder were evaluated for up to 3 years of followup. Of the children 41 (49 per cent) were totally incontinent and 14 (17 per cent) were slightly damp. Preexisting ureteral reflux deteriorated in 25 per cent of the patients, ceased in 35 per cent and was unchanged in 40 per cent, while pre-existing upper tract dilatation improved in 12.5 per cent and was unchanged in 87.5 per cent. On clean intermittent catheterization and antibacterial medication 90 per cent of the children had sterile urine and 7.5 per cent had 10(5) or more colonies per ml. Complications occurred on 54 occasions but were minor in nature and were corrected easily. Half of the parents, schools and children found clean intermittent catheterization very acceptable or acceptable but a quarter of the parents and patients found it unacceptable or slightly unacceptable, or were undecided. Initial management of urinary complications associated with neurogenic bladder in children has changed to the clean intermittent catheterization program, with greatly improved results compared to Credé's expression of the bladder, an indwelling urethral catheter or urinary diversion. However, the clean intermittent catheterization regimen was not effective completely, not without complications and not accepted completely by parents, schools and children.     

Treatment of infants with neurogenic bladder dysfunction using anticholinergic drugs and intermittent catheterisation

The use of anticholinergic drugs in infants with neurogenic dysfunction has not been well documented. In this study, 35 neonates at risk of upper urinary tract damage from neurogenic dysfunction were treated from infancy with anticholinergics, in combination with clean intermittent catheterisation. None of the patients showed upper urinary tract deterioration with follow-up ranging from 6 to 72 months, although 2 required vesicostomy--1 due to difficulty with catheterisation and 1 due to possible anticholinergic side effects. Only 2 (6%) have had clinical pyelonephritis. Twenty-five (76%) are virtually dry between catheterisation. We conclude that anticholinergics are safe and effective, even in the neonatal period, when used in combination with clean intermittent catheterisation for the treatment of neonates with neurogenic bladder dysfunction.     

Neuropathic vesicourethral dysfunction in children. A trial comparing clean intermittent catheterisation with manual expression combined with drug treatment

Forty-three children with overt neurological disease and neuropathic vesicourethral dysfunction were entered into a trial comparing clean intermittent catheterisation (CIC) with manual expression combined with drug treatment (non-CIC). The 22 children in the CIC group showed a significantly greater improvement in continence than the 21 children in the non-CIC group (P less than 0.001) without a significant increase in the incidence of urinary tract infections. Neither form of treatment is effective in reducing the risk of deterioration of renal function due to the combination of detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia and vesicoureteric reflux. Neither form of treatment improves continence in the presence of gross sphincter weakness or gross impairment of bladder compliance.     

Non-neurogenic bladder and chronic renal insufficiency in childhood

Functional voiding disorders and urinary tract infections are common in childhood, but are usually not accompanied by upper urinary tract deterioration. Nevertheless a small group of children remain at risk of developing chronic renal insufficiency (CRI). Clinically these children present day and night wetting. The most important parameter, however, is urinary retention which is reflected by an abnormal voiding pattern in the uroflow curve. After ruling out patients with neurogenic or anatomical disorders, nine girls with psychogenic urine retention were observed for 5 years. Terminal renal insufficiency was seen in one, CRI in five patients and in three patients the kidney function could be maintained, but they all had severe scarring of the bladder and the upper urinary tract. Vesicoureteral reflux occurred in six and obstruction of the ureterovesical junction in three patients. Two girls underwent repeated reflux surgery resulting in a rapid deterioration of renal function. Three patients developed hypertension and one had a hypertensive crisis with microangiopathic anaemia and acute renal failure. Psychogenic disorders and problematic family settings were observed in all cases. Bladder training, transitory suprapubic catheters, intermittent catheterisation, medication and psychotherapy can avoid severe kidney damage and achieve a stabilisation of renal function. It is important to bear this syndrome in mind when evaluating girls with asymptomatic bacteriuria and urinary retention.     

Urinary tract reconstruction in children

The successful introduction of clean intermittent catheterization and increased awareness of urinary tract physiology and urodynamics have been the basis for recent major advances in urinary tract reconstructive surgery. Surgical techniques are now available to manage anatomical and functional deficiencies of any isolated or combined components of the urinary tract. The high incidence of unsatisfactory long-term results with ileal conduit diversion has led to increased popularity in urinary tract undiversion and greater utilization of reconstructive principles. As with any new surgical field of endeavour, new operative techniques are appearing at a rapid rate. In particular, there has been a recent proliferation of surgical procedures that provide a continent, low pressure, catheterizable reservoir for urine storage. Most children with major urinary tract deficiencies can now be offered socially and cosmetically unobtrusive surgical solutions without jeopardizing renal function.     

The urological evaluation and management of patients with myelodysplasia

The urological evaluation and results of management of 183 myelodysplastic patients are presented. Our management protocol stresses upper tract and infection status surveillance during the early childhood years, and a clean intermittent catheterisation programme with pharmacological manipulation of detrusor and sphincter function as the optimal later management. Continence failures are few and are manageable by sphincter prosthetic surgery or bladder augmentation. Urodynamic results are valuable in children with difficult incontinence or poor upper tracts. The intermittent catheterisation programme reduces the incidence of symptomatic urinary infections in these patients, but the incidence of asymptomatic bacteriuria is high. The adverse results of supravesical diversion in myelodysplastic children rarely justify its use.     

Der intermittierende Einmalkatheterismus

In patients with bladder dysfunctions, intermittent catheterisation is a bladder evacuation technique with a low complication rate. Therefore, it is regarded as the method of choice in the treatment of chronic residual urine, mostly due to a hypo- or acontractile detrusor. Regarding the incidence of urinary tract infections and urethral strictures, aseptic catheterisation seems to be superior to the clean technique. There are, however, no independent, prospective, controlled, randomised, double-blinded studies comparing the different catheter types. Thus, the question of which catheter is the ideal one cannot be answered yet. Predominantly in patients who have to perform intermittent catheterisation for good, the prevention of long-term complications, especially of the upper urinary tract, is of the utmost importance. In the long run, using an inadequate technique and catheters not optimally designed will clearly lead to a higher complication rate. Despite the lower prices of certain catheters, treatment of these complications will lead to higher instead of lower costs. The data available today clearly demonstrate that aseptic intermittent catheterisation is the technique of choice today. Important details of this treatment modality, however, have to be elucidated by prospective studies in the future.     

The prophylactic use of clean intermittent catheterization in the treatment of infants and young children with myelomeningocele and neurogenic bladder dysfunction

To examine the hypothesis that the prophylactic use of clean intermittent catheterization can prevent urinary tract deterioration in infants and young children with myelomeningocele a prospective controlled study was performed on 24 patients. Preliminary results indicate that more than 50 per cent of the patients with bladder sphincter incoordination managed by self-voiding had urinary tract deterioration. In contrast, in only 10 per cent of the patients treated prophylactically with clean intermittent catheterization did deterioration occur. We conclude that when bladder sphincter incoordination is diagnosed in children with myelomeningocele they are at a high risk for the development of future urinary tract injury. The prophylactic use of clean intermittent catheterization can actually prevent this deterioration and its use in this manner is recommended.     

Early start to therapy preserves kidney function in spina bifida patients

OBJECTIVE: Renal scarring and renal failure remain life-threatening for children born with spinal dysraphism. We reviewed our data of spina bifida patients to evaluate whether optimal treatment of the neurogenic bladder from birth onwards can preserve kidney function. METHODS: We reviewed data on all newborns with spinal dysraphism who were referred to our hospital between January 1988 and June 2001. We looked at their situations at referral and at follow-up: the type of treatment, antimuscarinic agents, clean intermittent catheterisation (CIC), antibiotic prophylaxis, and operations (sling procedures, bladder augmentations, antireflux procedures). Renal function (ultrasound, DMSA scan, serum creatinin, creatinin clearance) and bladder function (urodynamic studies) were evaluated over time. RESULTS: Data of 144 children of 176 could be evaluated by the end of the study: 5 patients had pre-existing renal abnormalities, 69 had an overactive sphincter, 27 had reflux, and six had renal scarring. None are currently developing end-stage renal disease. All patients with spina bifida aperta started CIC and antimuscarinic therapy shortly after birth. Five of the six patients with renal scarring were started on therapy with intermittent catheterisation and antimuscarinic therapy several months after birth. Sixty-three of 82 children with spina bifida were dry at school age (age six), although 37 of these had not had an operation. CONCLUSION: We show that an early start to therapy helps to safeguard renal function for children born with spina bifida. Our data support other recent reports that children born with spina bifida can probably use their own kidneys for a lifetime, if they are given adequate urological treatment. To protect the upper urinary tract, we need to ensure low intravesical pressure by starting children early on CIC (the preferred treatment); antimuscarinic agents to counteract detrusor instability are indispensable in most cases. Proactive treatment of risks for upper tract deterioration results in a negligible loss of renal function, even when early urinary continence is included in the treatment protocol.     

Quantitation of urinary Tamm-Horsfall protein in children with urinary tract infection.

It has been suggested that urinary Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP) prevents colonization of the urinary tract by binding uropathogens. We tested the hypothesis that low urinary THP levels may predispose to urinary tract infection (UTI) by measuring THP levels in children. We studied a cohort of 35 girls with uncomplicated recurrent UTI (group 1) that was compared with 27 patients with myelomeningoceles undergoing clean intermittent catheterization (group 2) and 16 female controls (group 3). We measured urinary THP in both aggregated (aTHP) and disaggregated form (dTHP), leukocyte esterase activity, urine chemistries and culture. No significant differences in dTHP or aTHP levels were seen between groups 1 and 3, but group-1 patients had higher dTHP levels than group-2 patients (p < 0.008). History of reflux or the presence of bacteriuria or pyuria at the time of urine collection did not affect dTHP levels; in contrast, pyuria or bacteriuria at the time of sampling was associated with markedly lower aTHP levels when compared with sterile samples (p < 0.0001). For all groups, measured quantities of dTHP did not correlate with aTHP levels. We conclude that excretion of dTHP in children with history of recurrent UTI is not reduced. In contrast, concentrations of aTHP are profoundly depressed in children during times of UTI, suggesting a role for THP in the pathogenesis of UTI. Assaying THP in its aggregated form may prove valuable when studying its physiologic function and merits further investigation.     

Management of children with myelodysplasia: urological alternatives

Recent reports have suggested that the prophylactic use of clean intermittent catheterization in selected infants with myelodysplasia and with normal upper tracts may prevent their deterioration. The selection of these patients at risk depends on urodynamic criteria. We reviewed our experience with clean intermittent catheterization instituted when upper tract deterioration was found. Of 130 patients with myelodysplasia followed at our clinic 25 (19%) had or presented with radiological upper urinary tract deterioration. A total of 21 patients had vesicoureteral reflux and 4 had hydronephrosis without reflux. Treatment consisted of clean intermittent catheterization alone in 5 patients and combined with anticholinergic medication in 16. Four patients with no post-void residual urine were carefully observed without intervention. Urodynamic evaluation was performed selectively in 11 of these 25 patients for persistence of upper urinary tract deterioration or urinary incontinence after institution of treatment. Of the 21 children with reflux 19 (90%) had resolution or improvement for an average followup of 47 months. Hydronephrosis completely resolved in the 4 patients without reflux. Thus, the over-all resolution or improvement rate was 92% for an average of 41 months. Although these excellent results may not be superior to the prophylactic use of clean intermittent catheterization, they validate the assumption that upper tract deterioration can be reversed. The application of current urodynamic selection criteria may result in overtreating a significant number of infants who otherwise may not have upper tract deterioration. Further refinements in these criteria may be necessary to select better not only patients at risk but also to determine the frequency of imaging necessary in this urologically heterogeneous population. In addition, careful consideration should be given to urethral dilation as a third and equally viable alternative to prevent upper tract deterioration.     

Long-term clean intermittent self-catheterization in renal transplant recipients

Eight renal transplant recipients with neurogenic bladders or lower urinary tract dysfunction were managed with clean intermittent self-catheterization after transplantation instead of urinary diversion. A total of 85 treatment months was reviewed. Of the patients 5 continue to do well after 10 to 17 months of intermittent catheterization and 3 suffered immunological graft failures. In selected renal transplant recipients with lower urinary tract dysfunction clean intermittent catheterization is a reasonable alternative to urinary diversion.     

A 22-year followup of ileal conduits in children with a neurogenic bladder

Previously, the ileal conduit had been used in children for diversion of urine from the neurogenic bladder to prevent deterioration of the upper urinary tracts and to manage urinary incontinence. Long-term results after ileal conduits in children have revealed upper tract deterioration and a high complication rate. The complications and renal deterioration rates in 139 children with ileal conduits followed up to 22 years were evaluated. Of 224 complications 114 required surgical correction. Upper urinary tract deterioration occurred in 16.5 per cent of 50 children followed for 10 or more years (mean 13.3 years). The ileal conduit has been replaced by clean intermittent catheterization, ureteral reimplantation for reflux, the artificial sphincter and undiversion in the management of neurogenic bladders in children. Long-term followup will be necessary to compare the results of these procedures to the known long-term results of the ileal conduit to determine the appropriate role of the ileal conduit in the management of children with neurogenic bladders.     

Urinary infections in patients with spinal cord injury

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study concerning urinary tract infections in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. OBJECTIVES: To check whether the regular (1/week) urine cultures allow a more accurate treatment of urinary tract infections in SCI patients compared to empiric treatment. SETTING: Ghent University Hospital, East-Flanders, Belgium. METHODS: Group 1: 24 tetraplegic patients; group 2: 22 paraplegic patients; group 3: 28 other polytrauma patients as controls. These groups were chosen as catheterisation and other voiding methods differ according to the underlying pathology. RESULTS: An average of four clinically significant episodes of bacteriuria were found for groups 1 and 2, while group 3 experienced very few urinary infections. The mean species turnover of the first two groups was 2. No statistically significant difference was found in antibiotic-resistance patterns of organisms isolated. CONCLUSION: Despite different catheterisation techniques in para- and tetraplegic patients, we conclude that: (1) the number of episodes of clinical significant nosocomial urinary infections is not different; (2) the mean species turnover is the same; (3) because of the species turnover, the value of regular urine cultures for 'documented' treatment of clinical relevant urinary infections seems to be limited. So urine culture could be performed less frequently or only when therapy becomes mandatory; (4) No oral antibiotic with superior activity was found: treatment is best started empirically (after sampling for urine culture) and adjusted to the resulting antibiotic sensitivity screening.     

Urinary levels of interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 in patients with vesicoureteral reflux and renal parenchymal scar

The objective of this study was to assess the urine levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) as noninvasive markers of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) and renal parenchymal scarring (RPS) in children in the absence of a recent urinary tract infection (UTI) episode. Urine concentrations of IL-6 and IL-8 in 114 children aged 1 month to 16 years were evaluated. The children were divided into four groups: group 1, 26 children with VUR and RPS; group 2, 27 children with VUR without RPS; group 3, 34 children with RPS without VUR, group 4, 27 children without VUR and RPS, as the control group. After the first assessment, the children were divided into four larger groups for comparison purposes: group A (groups 1+2), 53 children with VUR; group B (groups 3+4), 61 children without VUR; group C (groups 1+3), 60 children with RPS; group D (groups 2+4), 54 children without RPS. Urinary IL-6 and IL-8 concentrations were determined. To avoid dilution effects and to the standardize samples, urinary levels of IL-6 and IL-8 were expressed as the ratio of cytokine to urinary creatinine (pg/mg). The median urine IL-6/creatinine was significantly higher in patients with VUR than in those without VUR (5.72 vs. 3.73). In patients with VUR, there was a significant but rather weak correlation between IL-6/creatinine concentrations and the reflux grade (p?<?0.05, R?=?0.305). The median urine IL-8/creatinine was significantly higher in patients with RPS than in those without RPS (43.12 vs. 16.36). In patients with RPS, there was a significant but rather weak correlation between IL-8/creatinine concentrations and the renal scar grade (p?<?0.05, R?=?0.251). The results of this study provide preliminary evidence that children with VUR have a high urine IL-6 concentration, whereas children with RPS have a high urine IL-8 concentration.     

Management of children with urinary tract infections The Stanford experience

Two hundred seventy-eight female children with urinary tract infections have been evaluated at Stanford division of urology. All children were followed up for a period of not less than twelve months. Age of onset of infection, clinical presentation, and nature of infecting organisms were observed. The group consisted of 144 children without ureteral reflux and 134 children with ureteral reflux. Sixty-one of the female children with ureteral reflux had ureteral reimplantation, while 73 received medical treatment alone. A study of infection rates in each of the three groups of children indicated a similar infection rate, although those children with reflux experienced a higher incidence of clinical pyelonephritis. Correction of ureteral reflux did not alter the infection rate; however, infections after surgical correction were generally of a type usually associated with children without reflux. Twenty-nine children had urethral dilatation, and the infection rate prior to and following urethral dilatation indicated a similar rate of infection pre- and posturethral dilatation. One hundred nonrefluxing kidneys were observed radiologically: 97 were normal and 3 showed clubbing and scarring. Of 110 refluxing renal units observed, 62 were clubbed and scarred and 48 were normal. Following surgical correction of reflux, renal clubbing and scarring were not observed in previously normal renal units. Of those renal units found to be abnormal at time of surgery, 66 per cent showed progression of clubbing and scarring after surgical correction of reflex. It was observed that the greater the degree of reflex present, the higher the incidence of renal damage. This study suggests that children who experience recurrent urinary tract infections who do not have ureteral reflux are seldom at renal risk; similar children who do have ureteral reflux are at risk unless the infections are controlled or the reflux either disappears or is corrected surgically.     

Management of neurogenic bladder in infancy and childhood.

Sixty-two patients, age twelve years and under, were treated for incontinence due to neurogenic bladder secondary to spina bifida (58) or trauma (4) with a follow-up period of three to thirty-two months (mean, ten months). In early life, patients were managed with the Credé maneuver (18 patients). Older children were managed with intermittent clean catheterization (44 patients) with or without pharmacologic agents. Continence was achieved with intermittent clean catheterization in 77 per cent, thus enabling these children to be more acceptable to their peers and in many cases attend schools from which they had previously been excluded because of urinary incontinence. With the Credé maneuver, renal deterioration was noted in 11 per cent on follow-up IVP, and in 2 per cent of the patients on intermittent clean catheterization. Recurrent asymptomatic bacteriuria occurred in 33 per cent of those with the Credé maneuver and in 55 per cent of the patients using intermittent clean catheterization. The use of antibiotic bladder irrigations reduced this incidence to 5 per cent. All patients with renal deterioration except one responded to intermittent clean catheterization; this patient was treated with cutaneous vesicostomy. Urodynamic assessment was performed in 15 patients, and this diagnostic tool assisted in the therapeutic management of these children.     

Noncompliant bladder resulting from posterior urethral valves

We report on 4 boys with abnormally functioning, poorly compliant bladders and residual urine associated with posterior urethral valves. All 4 boys have been managed with clean intermittent self-catheterization and have shown stabilization or improvement in renal function, and improvement in upper tract drainage and urinary continence. The pathophysiological findings of this type of bladder dysfunction are discussed.     

Pediatric renal transplantation into the abnormal urinary tract

Many children with end-stage renal disease have significant urinary tract problems other than irreversible loss of native kidney function. These significant other urinary tract problems if not corrected prior to transplantation, may significantly increase recipient mortality, graft loss, and patient morbidity. These other urinary tract problems may cause hydroureteronephrosis in the transplanted kidney, lead to an increased incidence of graft rejection, be the source of sepsis after subsequent immunosuppression, and cause hypertension. In addition, pre-existing urinary diversion, large interabdominal masses, or previous cancer require specific pre-transplant management plans. Potential pediatric transplant recipients with other significant urinary tract problems can be classified according to three parameters: anatomical extent, pathology, and pathophysiology of the significant other problems. Particular attention must be paid to pre-existing lower tract problems. Strategy must be worked out pre transplant as to how the lower urinary tract is going to store, hold, and empty urine. The means for assessing the potential recipients and strategies and techniques for correcting pre-existing problems have been summarized in this article.     

Periurethral colonization and urinary leukocytes as markers for bacteriuria in children with neurogenic bladder

Summary Bacteriuria and associated renal damage is common in children with a neurogenic bladder, but the pathogenesis of urinary tract infection (UTI) is undefined. We examined the association between periurethral bacterial colonization and the presence of urinary leukocytes in 76 catheter urine specimens from children with neurogenic bladders. Although all the children were asymptomatic, 38/76 (50%) of the urine cultures were positive. Periurethral colonization was significantly more common with positive than with negative urine cultures, suggesting a pathogenetic role for periurethral bacteria in infection of the neurogenic bladder. Urinary leukocytes were present in 24/38 (63%) with positive cultures, as against none (0/38) of those with negative urine cultures, and their presence represents a host response to bladder bacteriuria.