Long‐term urethral catheter drainage and bladder capacity

Bladder capacity has been registered with incremental water cystometry in 399 paticnts with continuous long‐term urethral catheter drainage. The duration of cathcter drainage varied from a few weeks to 15 years. The real bladder capacity was assessed by abolishing bladder overactivity, when present, with an IM injection of 50 mg emepronium bromide. Bladder capacity was reduced with increasing duration of catheter drainage. and the relation was statistically significant (p < 0.001). During the first year of catheter drainage there was a fast reduction of real bladder capacity by 12 mlimonth from 360 ml to 220 ml; during the next 8 years a further reduction by 0.8 rnllrnonth to around 150 ml was registered. The significance of this process in the daily care of the patients was evaluated with a questionnaire to the nursing staff. Bladder overactivity, and to a minor degree. reduction of real bladder capacity caused an increased frequency of urinary leakage beside the catheter but influenced neither the frequency of change of catheter nor the discomfort of the patients.