Long-term compliance with bladder management in patients with spinal cord injury: A Saudi-Arabian perspective.

Objective: To examine long-term compliance with bladder management in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) at a tertiary care rehabilitation facility in Saudi Arabia.Design: Cross-sectional survey.Setting: Tertiary care rehabilitation facility in Saudi Arabia.Participants: A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to patients with SCI during their clinic visits. 50 patients (41 males and nine females) participated in the survey. Data documentation included demographic characteristics, type and level of injury, compliance with bladder management and barriers in compliance.Main outcome measures: The type of bladder management employed at first follow-up visit was compared with that employed at discharge.Results: Eleven out of 41 patients who were discharged on clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) stopped it within 3 months of discharge, mainly due to lack of accessibility and financial support to buy catheters. Of the total sample, 23% reported that they did not know the difference between catheter types and their advantages, and 49% stated that they did not receive proper health education regarding bladder management.Conclusion: CIC was the most commonly used bladder management technique in patients with SCI following up at a tertiary care rehabilitation facility in Saudi Arabia. Compliance with CIC may be improved by ensuring access to catheters post-discharge and by providing appropriate education about bladder management during inpatient rehabilitation.

Spinal cord injury during the second trimester of pregnancy.

INTRODUCTION: Pregnancies in women with spinal cord injury (SCI) are at greater risk of morbidity and mortality. Although pregnancy after SCI is well elaborated in the literature, SCI occurring during pregnancy is rarely reported. Abrupt changes in the body physiology because of SCI and the resulting disability add a risk to maternal and fetal well-being. Not only is the burden of care increased but there is also a higher risk of developing pressure ulcers, urinary tract infections, autonomic instability, intrauterine growth retardation and venous thromboembolism. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of a 32-year-old lady who had a traumatic SCI at C6 level during the second trimester of her pregnancy. She was admitted to a tertiary care rehabilitation facility after 2 months of her injury. This case highlights the comprehensive approach toward her management, including rehabilitation, spinal intervention and obstetrical care. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of its kind from the Middle East. DISCUSSION: Multi-system involvement due to SCI during pregnancy results in intense physiological changes that affect the treatment options for anesthesia, surgery, labor and comprehensive rehabilitation. This case report emphasizes the need for well-equipped, specialized centers for similar patients in developing health systems and aims to increase the awareness for management of SCI during pregnancy using a comprehensive approach.