Introduction: Neurogenic bladder dysfunction, or the so-called neurogenic bladder, is caused by a disease or injury. In adults, it is defined as abnormal or difficult bladder function. Inability to control bladder infections remains the most common cause of hospitalization in patients with spinal cord injury. Infections occur due to improper use and execution of voiding techniques. The most common techniques recently used in Slovenia and abroad for bladder emptying are intermittent catheterization, Credé and Valsalva maneuvers, reflex voiding, permanent urinary catheter, sacral root stimulation, and rhizotomy. Purpose: The aim of this thesis is to determine the most common techniques for emptying the neurogenic bladder and to assess how neurogenic bladder dysfunction affects the quality of life after treatment. Methods: The foundation of this thesis is a review of Slovenian and English literature. The literature was sourced from both books and online resources. Online resources were searched on PubMed, CINAHL Ultimate, Medline, and the digital library of the University of Ljubljana. We included literature that is less than 5 years old. Results: With a review of the literature, we identified the main techniques used by patients abroad for bladder emptying after spinal cord injury. Discussion and conclusion: We found that in today's world, the main technique for bladder emptying is clean intermittent catheterization, which is considered the gold standard. Most paraplegics opt for this technique, while tetraplegics mostly choose a permanent urinary catheter, suprapubic urinary catheter, or other reflex techniques. Age and gender also influence the correct choice. With regular use of the proper technique, individuals can better manage their lives and symptoms. Choosing the correct technique improves the quality of life in all areas, both in private and public settings. We found that in terms of selecting bladder emptying techniques, we are on par with international standards. However, it is necessary to develop techniques tailored to the individual in Slovenia and to introduce new methods, such as treatment with botulinum neurotoxin and the use of a chair for pelvic floor muscle stimulation.
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