The Effect of Anticholinergic Treatment on Neurogenic Bladder Dysfunction in Spinal Cord Injured Patients
2 Sağlık Bakanlığı 70. Yıl Fizik Tedavi ve Rehabilitasyon Eğitim ve Arafltırma Hastanesi 1. FTR Kliniği, ‹stanbul
3 Clinic of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, İstanbul Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of anticholinergic treatment on clinical features and urodynamic parameters in patients with over activity due to spinal cord injury.
Materials and Methods: Spinal cord injured patients diagnosed as overactivity and taking anticholinergic treatment were reevaluated with video urodynamic study during follow up visits. The records about urine leakage were assessed. The patients who did not use the prescribed drugs were taken as control group.
Results: Thirty five patients with spinal cord injury were included in the study. Twenty one had been using anticholinergic treatment for a mean duration of 17 months; 14 patients were taken as control group. Both groups were similar in demographic characteristics and pretreatment urodynamic parameters. The cystometric bladder capacity increased significantly and leak point pressure decreased insignificantly in the anticholinergic drug group. No significant change was detected in the control group. All the patients in the anticholinergic drug group reported an improvement in the leakage of urine; fifty percent of them did not have incontinency episodes any more.
Conclusion: Anticholinergic treatment is effective in spinal cord injured patients with detrusor overactivity by increasing bladder capacity.
Keywords : Spinal cord injury, overactivity, anticholinergic treatment, urodynamics