A first-of-its-kind, large-scale study in Spinal Cord Series and Cases found that hospitals frequently fail to meet the specialized bladder management needs of SCI patients and do not reliably apply SCI-specific protocols.
Bladder dysfunction is common after SCI, with many patients requiring long-term catheter use, making bladder management critical in early care. Mismanagement can lead to serious risks like autonomic dysreflexia, kidney damage, infections, and extended hospital stays.
Researchers analyzed 1,652 newly admitted SCI patients within a major U.S. health system, examining bladder‑management practices—including catheter types used, transitions between methods, impacts on length of stay, and whether care followed established clinical guidelines. Findings showed that a substantial proportion of admissions were managed without catheterization. Indwelling catheters were used in 18.9% of cases—often for longer than expected—while clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) was used far less than guidelines recommend. Patients who switched catheter types had the longest hospital stays.
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