This study was designed to determine the effect of sterile and nonsterile intermittent catheterization on the incidence of urinary tract infection (UTI) in patients after spinal cord injury. The study included 29 patients with neurogenic bladder dysfunction treated with intermittent catheterization. One group of 14 patients was on sterile catheterization; another group of 15 patients was on nonsterile catheterization. On a weekly basis, urine samples were obtained and analyzed. A total of 122 urine samples were analyzed. The patients on sterile catheterization had a 28.6% UTI incidence; the group using a nonsterile catheterization technique had a UTI incidence of 42.4%. The most common urinary pathogen in both groups was E. coli (65%). The cost of antibiotics for patients on the sterile catheterization program was only 43% of the cost of antibiotics for those on the nonsterile program. However, the sterile kits cost 371% of the cost of the catheterization kits for the patients in the nonsterile program, so the total cost of managing neurogenic bladder on the sterile program was 277% of the cost of the nonsterile program.

Bacterial Infections↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Brown-colored semen in men with spinal cord injury.

The interesting condition of brown-colored semen has often been observed during assisted ejaculation of men with spinal cord injury (SCI). This condition has not been reported in the literature, and its cause is unknown. To investigate this condition, the present study examined the incidence and quality of brown semen and its relationship to level of SCI, time since SCI, number of successive ejaculations, ejaculation frequency, and ejaculation method in a total of 664 semen specimens from 162 SCI men. In addition, a microscopic evaluation was performed on brown semen specimens from SCI men, not-brown specimens from SCI men, and normally colored specimens from normal men. The results showed that 27% of SCI subjects had brown semen on at least one ejaculation. There was no difference between men producing and men not producing brown semen in age, level of injury, or years postinjury. The duration of an ejaculation, number of successive ejaculations, and frequency of ejaculation were not associated with occurrence of brown semen. Sperm concentration and sperm motility were not significantly different in brown and not-brown specimens. Specimens from subjects who produced brown semen had similar pH but lower volume than specimens from subjects who did not produce brown semen. Brown semen had a thin consistency more often than not-brown semen. Brown specimens contained intact red blood cells (RBCs) and/or heme pigment more often than not-brown specimens; however, one half and one third of the specimens, respectively, contained neither RBCs nor heme pigment. The cause of brown semen is unknown but may relate to seminal-vesicle dysfunction.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Scrotal and oral temperatures are not related to semen quality of serum gonadotropin levels in spinal cord-injured men.

Scrotal temperature, oral temperature, and the difference between oral and scrotal temperature were measured in spinal cord-injured subjects (SCI) and non-injured subjects as controls. We statistically correlated these measures to semen quality and serum gonadotropin levels in both groups. No difference was found between SCI and control subjects on any temperature measurement. Mean sperm motility, mean sperm morphology, and mean serum gonadotropin levels were significantly lower in SCI compared to control subjects, but these measures were not correlated to scrotal temperature, oral temperature, or the difference between oral and scrotal temperature in SCI or control subjects. These data indicate that: 1) there is not a generalized scrotal thermoregulatory dysfunction in SCI men; 2) scrotal temperature does not appear to contribute to poor semen quality in SCI men; and 3) elevated gonadotropin levels are not related to elevated scrotal temperatures in SCI men, as has been reported in non-injured, infertile men.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Semen of spinal cord injured men freezes reliably.

The objectives of the present study were to: 1) determine the effect of cryopreservation on the percent and the grade of motility of sperm from spinal cord injured (SCI) men and 2) determine which method of freezing yields the best post-thaw motility in sperm from SCI men. Antegrade semen samples were obtained from 9 SCI subjects and 10 age-matched healthy control subjects. Motility in fresh samples was determined and cryopreservative medium was added to each sample. Aliquots of each sample were frozen according to three methods: 1) liquid nitrogen vapor only (V); 2) vapor for 12 minutes followed by submersion into liquid nitrogen (V+N2); and 3) direct submersion into liquid nitrogen (N2). Samples were frozen for 1 week, then thawed. The post-thaw percent and grade of motility was determined. The mean percent motility of fresh samples for SCI subjects (21.0%) was significantly lower than for control subjects (55.7%). After thawing, the mean percent drop in motility for V, V+N2, and N2 for controls was 65.2%, 73.5%, and 79.4%, respectively, and for SCI subjects, it was 64.7%, 74.5%, and 81.6%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between control and SCI subjects by method of freezing. Vapor only as a freezing method was superior to all other methods for retention of sperm motility in both control and SCI subjects. We conclude that the semen of SCI men may be frozen reliably and that their sperm retain motility similar to that of normal men. Vapor only, being the most gentle method used, gives the best recovery of sperm motility in either group.

Adult↗