Aim: We aimed to examine the social impact of clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) on children with a neurogenic bladder and to compare the impact of urethral CIC with Mitrofanoff catheterization.
Methods: Questionnaires containing 29 questions about the social impact of CIC on the children and their families were administered with their parents or caregivers of 50 children (34 boys and 16 girls) using CIC. The mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of the children was 9.6 (4.32) years and duration on CIC was 6.1 (3.97) years.
Results: Seventeen children were using Mitrofanoff catheterization (group I) and 33 children urethral catheterization (group II). Of the respondents, 54% respondents reported that their children accept the use of CIC, 30% respondents reported that they do not like it, and 16% respondents reported that they always refuse and resist it. There was no difference in the level of acceptance between the two groups. Both groups reported that children were social (90%) and had close friends (88%). However, 50% felt that CIC affected mood, with 30% of the children displaying bad temper. Mitrofanoff catheterization was associated with fewer episodes of frequent urinary tract infection (p = 0.004) and greater adherence. All children from group I, who were older than 6 years, were attending school compared with 78% from group II. School performance was significantly better in group I (p = 0.022).
Conclusion: There was acceptance of CIC by most children but Mitrofanoff catheterization seemed to have a lower social impact in terms of school performance, adherence to therapy, and complications.
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart ยท New York.