Outcomes of pregnancy and delivery in women with continent lower urinary tract reconstruction: systematic review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The aim of this systematic review of the literature was to pool all the existing data regarding pregnancy and delivery in women with neurogenic bladder or bladder exstrophy who had undergone previous lower urinary tract reconstruction (LUTR). METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of the literature from PubMed/MedLine, ClinicalTrials.gov and the Google Scholar database, from 1972 to July 2020. Fifty articles were included, of which 25 contained data that could be pooled (229 women representing 292 pregnancies). RESULTS: Ninety-eight women had bladder exstrophy (43%), 58 had spinal dysraphism (25%), 14 had spinal cord injury (6%), and 59 presented other pathological conditions. Of these, 138 have had an augmentation cystoplasty (61%), 42 (18%) had a continent cutaneous urinary diversion, and 31 had an artificial urinary sphincter (14%). During their pregnancy, 97 women (33%) experienced at least one febrile urinary tract infection. Thirty-one women (11%) required ureteral stenting or nephrostomy placement for upper urinary tract dilatation. Forty-six pregnancies ended with premature delivery (16%). Delivery mode was by C-section for 108 patients (62%) and vaginal delivery for 104 (36%). Twenty complications were reported during delivery (mainly urological), of which 19 occurred during C-section. Nine women experienced postpartum urinary incontinence (4%); in 5 of then this was due to urinary fistulae secondary to complicated C-section. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnancy and vaginal delivery are possible for women with LUTR who have no obstetric or medical contraindications, except for some particular cases of bladder exstrophy. However, these high-risk pregnancies and deliveries should be managed by a specialist multidisciplinary team.

"What pressure ulcers mean to me?" Representations of pressure ulcer in persons with spinal cord injury: A qualitative study.

OBJECTIVES: Explore the perceptions and beliefs related to pressure ulcers (PU), their prevention and treatment strategies, in order to discuss potential learning objectives for PU-related therapeutic education in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN: Qualitative study, using grounded theory for the analysis of data collected via a questionnaire. SETTING: Nine SCI referral centers, inpatient care. PARTICIPANTS: 131 persons with SCI were included. 76% were male, and 65% presented with paraplegia. The median age was 48 years (33.5; 58) and median time since injury was 11 years (3; 24.5). 70% had experience with PU. INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data collection via an open-ended questionnaire on the representation of PU, its prevention and life experience of having a PU. RESULTS: Six categories were identified: (1) identifying what might become problematic, (2) daily preventive actions, (3) detecting the early signs, (4) managing the early signs, (5) need for care, (6) experience with PU and being bedridden. Pressure ulcers have dramatic consequences on psychosocial health. Prevention and treatment require self-management skills, such as self-risk assessment abilities, self-detection skills and problem-solving strategies, to optimise daily PU prevention in persons with SCI. CONCLUSION: PU prevention tackled by persons with SCI bears some specificities that the physician must take into account in the construction of a self-management program in this high-risk population.