Abstract

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most frequently reported secondary impairment in individuals with spinal cord lesion (SCI). UTI is responsible for major morbidiry and mortality in SCI patients. Due to chronic bacterial infection within biofilms, an antibacterial treatment based on a urinary culture of bacteria in the urine and its antimicrobial susceptibility may fail to eradicate catheter associated UTI. The classic symptoms of UTI are unreliable indicators in SCI patients with neurogenic bladder. It is widely accepted that intermittent catheterization, when compared with indwelling catheters, reduces the risk of UTI in SCI patients and is the preferred method of bladder drainage in SCI patients. Guidelines for selecting antimicrobial agents in SCI patients are similar to guidelines for the treatment of complicated UTI in the general population.

• Keywords: Spinal cord injury, Urinary tract infection, Biofilm