Neurogenic Bladder Management and Nursing Care

What is this article about?

Neurogenic bladder is the overlying term for a variety of urinary dysfunctions caused by a disease or an injury that has disrupted normal neurological functioning. Depending on the nerve damage experienced by the individual, their bladder may become overactive (spastic) or underactive (flaccid). Normal bladder function relies on information travelling through neural pathways from the cerebral cortex, through the spinal cord, and on to the bladder to coordinate normal micturition and urinary continence. When this pathway is damaged, it can result in loss of bladder sensation and also the loss of the coordination between the urethral sphincter and its muscles. This means that these muscles may not contract even when the bladder fills or the person has the urge to void, leading to bladder dysfunctions such as urinary incontinence and retention.