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Dear Lora,
Spinal cord injury often involves urinary tract problems.
RenalAcute kidney failure
Addison’s disease
Adrenal gland biopsy
Adrenalectomy
Cancer - renal pelvis or ureter
Catecholamines - blood
Chronic renal failure
Dialysis
End-stage kidney disease
Kidney diet - dialysis patients
Kidney stones failure, urinary tract infections, and incontinence are common. Renal function should be periodically monitered with blood tests and ultrasound examination to make sure that any bladder disfunction is not resulting in renal damage. Infections are best prevented by helping the bladder to empty without the use of a chronic indwelling catheter. Options include clean intermittant catheterization or a surgical approach such as ileovesicostomy (opening the bladder to the abdominal wall). Incontinence can be manged by surgically diverting the flow of urine or external collecting devices. A chronic indwelling catheter is the method of last resort as it is associated with renal failure, infections, subsequent total incontinence and erosion of the urethral tissue.
Bladder irrigations are an uncommon method of treating urinary tract infections. Certain bladder yeast infections respond to antifungal agents placed in the bladder. Patients who do not make urine or do not fill their bladder (dialysis patients) may need antibiotic solution irrigation of the infected bladder. Your irrigations with water may decrease the severity of infection, however manipulation of the bladder pH or adding an antibiotic to the water may improve the results.
More individualized care is available at the Henry Ford Hospital and its satellites (1 800 653 6568). We can also arrange local accommodations through this number if this is
your need. Please bring any physicians’ notes and lab test results that
you may be able to obtain. These will help us greatly.
This information is provided for general medical education purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition.
Sincerely;
HFHS M.D.-CK
* Keyword: spinal cord injury