Objective
To review trends in bladder emptying methods over a 20-year period in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) by severity according to the American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale (AIS).
Methods
Medical records of patients with SCI from 1994 to 1998 (group 1) and from 2012 to 2016 (group 2) were retrospectively reviewed. We classified bladder emptying methods according to the International Spinal Cord dataset. We grouped patients with normal voiding, bladder reflex triggering, and bladder expression as those using voiding without catheter.
Results
A total of 667 patients were included in the analysis. The proportion of patients using voiding without catheter and intermittent catheterization decreased from 67.0% to 30.0% and increased from 26.8% to 54.8%, respectively. In patients with AIS-A and AIS-B, the proportion of patients with intermittent catheterization increased from 32.8% to 73.3%. In patients with AIS-D, the proportion of patients using voiding without catheter and intermittent catheterization decreased from 88.5% to 68.9% and increased from 11.5% to 26.8%, respectively. In group 2, among 111 patients with AIS-D using voiding without catheter at admission, 8 (7.2%) switched to intermittent catheterization at discharge due to decreased bladder volume, increased post-voiding residual urine, or incontinence.
Conclusion
Over the past 20 years, trends in bladder emptying methods in patients with SCI changed from voiding without catheter to intermittent catheterization in Korea. This was especially prominent in patients with AIS-A, AIS-B, and AIS-C. Even in patients with AIS-D, the use of intermittent catheterization at hospital discharge increased.

Citations

• Changes in bladder emptying during inpatient rehabilitation after spinal cord injury and predicting factors: data from the Dutch Spinal Cord Injury Database
  Claire G. Poublon, Eline W. M. Scholten, Michel I. A. Wyndaele, Marcel W. M. Post, Janneke M. Stolwijk-Swüste
  Spinal Cord.2023; 61(11): 624.     CrossRef
• Should We Delay Urodynamic Study When Patients With Spinal Cord Injury Have Asymptomatic Pyuria?
  EunYoung Kim, Hye Jin Lee, Onyoo Kim, In Suk Park, Bum-Suk Lee
  Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine.2021; 45(3): 178.     CrossRef

Objective
To evaluate the long-term efficacy of mirabegron add-on therapy in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) based on an urodynamic study.
Methods
This retrospective study involved a chart audit of individuals with SCI who underwent two consecutive urodynamic studies between April 1, 2015 and April 1, 2018. After adding 50 mg of mirabegron once a day to the pre-existing antimuscarinic therapy for a period of, at least 6 months, the following variables were analyzed: change in cystometric capacity, change in bladder compliance, change in maximal detrusor pressure, change in reflex volume, and presence of significant leakage during filling cystometry.
Results
A total of 31 participants with a mean age of 41±15 years were included in the analysis. A significant increase in cystometric capacity (mean, 362 to 424 mL; p=0.03), reflex volume (mean, 251 to 329 mL; p=0.02), and bladder compliance (median, 12 to 18 mL/cmH2O; p=0.04) was observed. The presence of leakage during filling cystometry was significantly reduced (29% to 10%; p=0.03). Likewise, a non-significant decrease in the change in maximal detrusor pressure was observed (mean, 31 to 27 cmH2O; p=0.39).
Conclusion
Adding mirabegron to conventional antimuscarinics further improved urodynamic parameters in patients with chronic SCI, and sustained efficacy was observed in long-term use.

Citations

• Mirabegron in the treatment of neurogenic detrusor overactivity: pharmacological and clinical aspects
  Igor V. Kuzmin
  Urology reports (St. - Petersburg).2025; 15(1): 51.     CrossRef
• Drug Repurposing for Spinal Cord Injury: Progress Towards Therapeutic Intervention for Primary Factors and Secondary Complications
  Lahanya Guha, Hemant Kumar
  Pharmaceutical Medicine.2023; 37(6): 463.     CrossRef
• Management of the Devastated Female Urethra
  Anne Shirley Hoselton, Paige Kuhlmann, Ramy Goueli
  Current Bladder Dysfunction Reports.2023; 18(4): 293.     CrossRef
• Bowel and Bladder Care in Patients With Spinal Cord Injury
  Eren O. Kuris, Daniel Alsoof, Camilo Osorio, Alan H. Daniels
  Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.2022; 30(6): 263.     CrossRef
• Urological Care After Spinal Cord Injury
  Gamal Ghoniem, Dena Moskowitz, Catherine Nguyen
  Current Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Reports.2022; 10(2): 89.     CrossRef
• Efficacy and safety of mirabegron for treatment of neurogenic detrusor overactivity in adults with spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis: a systematic review
  Yesim Akkoc
  Spinal Cord.2022; 60(10): 854.     CrossRef
• Urogenital dysfunction following neurotrauma
  Udit Saraf, Anand Kumar A, Jalesh N. Panicker
  Current Opinion in Neurology.2022; 35(6): 753.     CrossRef