Bacteriuria with fever after spinal cord injury

Urinary tract infection continues to be a common problem among spinal cord injured (SCI) individuals despite the strides that have been made during the last decade in the care of the neurogenic bladder. A critical analysis of the system of drainage compared with the occurrence of bacteriuria with fever (BWF) is reported in a group of 705 SCI patients. At the first year (year 1) follow-up, patients being catheterized by someone else (ICO) were much more likely to have experienced at least one episode of BWF than those on self-intermittent catheterization (SIC) (p < 0.025) or those using an indwelling catheter (IND) (p < 0.005). In patients who underwent external sphincterotomy, the incidence of BWF was significantly decreased in year 1 (p < 0.025) compared to those on ICO.