Results of clean intermittent catheterization for children with neurogenic bladders.

Forty-nine patients were placed on a regimen of clean intermittent catheterization one to four years prior to this review. The children were intermittently catheterized, and a silver nitrate solution 1:1000 was instilled after each catheterization. Nurse practitioners, and community and school personnel contributed to the management. Twenty-one patients were continent with anticholinergics, and 18 also required alpha-adrenergic agents. Eighty-eight per cent were essentially bacteriuria-free, 65 per cent were essentially infection-free, and forty-nine per cent were totally continent. The remaining 25 had mild incontinence. Eleven had clearances below 85 mm/min with 8 reverting to normal on therapy. Nine had reflux prior to the study and one improved. In 8 patients reflux developed during therapy; 4 had severe reflux which required ureteral reimplantation. The results demonstrated that a clean intermittent catheterization program is feasible in a rural setting and that a genitourinary irrigant does decrease bacteriuria.