Urologic care of the spinal cord injury patient

Edward J. McGuire, MD

This article focuses on the potentially dangerous urinary tract factors seen in spinal cord injury patients, with an emphasis on early and continuous treatment.

Key Points

The elevated voiding pressure associated with poorly coordinate bladder and sphincter function sets in motion a series of changes in bladder morphology and function associated with gradual loss of bladder compliance or the normal accommodation of volume with very little change in Pdet.2 This is characterized by a progressive elevation in the detrusor pressure response to incremental volume during the storage mode of bladder function. This condition-high bladder storage and voiding pressures-is the risk factor posed by any neuropathic bladder condition to bladder, urethral, ureteral, and renal function.