Nursing

Neurogenic Bowel management (NBM)

Neurogenic bowel management is an essential part of spinal cord injury rehabilitation and plays a vital role in the long term health, wellbeing and quality of life for people with spinal cord injury. The type of bowel management will vary between individuals depending on the presentation of their bowel after injury e.g. reflexic/ areflexic/ mixed. There are multiple resources about neurogenic bowel management, including MASCIP guidelines, the RCN guidelines and a video from the National rehabilitation hospital in Dublin. All resources are listed below. Neurogenic bowel management is a fundamental skill when caring for someone with SCI and can cause serious and life threatening complications if not managed.

MASCIP Neurogenic bowel guidelines are here

The National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dublin have produced a range of SCI resources for healthcare professionals. The link below takes you to their site which hosts an educational video for neurogenic bowel management.

Bladder

The level and severity of spinal cord damage will influence how the bladder functions after injury. Bladder management will differ between individuals and will be assessed by the treating team. Many people with neurogenic bladder will require specific assessments to establish the best long term management. The aims of bladder management after SCI are the following:

• Select a method of bladder management to suit the SCI person’s lifestyle
• Achieve a reliable and socially acceptable method of bladder management – be able to manage this independently or express needs to others
• Educate SCI person and if needed, their carers about the essential components of long-term bladder care
• Preserve the upper urinary tract – kidneys
• Achieve complete emptying to avoid stasis of urine
• Reduce the risk of infection
• Prevent bladder over-distension
• Maintain continence
• Maintain SCI persons’ dignity, privacy and sexuality

For more information about bladder management contact the spinal cord injury centre, SCI Network or the spinal injuries association.

The National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dublin have produced a range of SCI resources for healthcare professionals. The link below takes you to their site which hosts an educational video on how to change a suprapubic catheter.

Outcome measures for NBM

Coloplast have developed the MENTOR tool for assessment and monitoring of bowel care efficacy. A video of it’s use is below and the resource can be download by clicking on the images below.

Society of tissue viability

Preventing pressure ulcers in people with spinal injury – every contact counts Webinar recording

Autonomic Dysreflexia

The National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dublin have produced a range of SCI resources for healthcare professionals. The link below takes you to their site which hosts an Autonomic dysreflexia factsheet, available in multiple languages.