Objectives: This study was undertaken to evaluate patient openness to changing and satisfaction with catheters used in intermittent catheterisation (IC) for urinary retention from neurogenic bladder dysfunction, and to compare patient response to conventional catheters and a novel packaged hydrophilic catheter: LoFric Primo.
Patients and methods: Of 409 patients recruited, 378 (283 males, 95 females; mean age: 43.5 yr) completed a 12-d trial of the novel catheter. The diagnoses were spinal cord lesion in 65.6%, multiple sclerosis in 9.6%, spina bifida in 2.3%, and other neurologic conditions in 22.5%; the mean duration of IC was 4.6 yr. Patients evaluated their current catheter at recruitment and the novel catheter after the 2-wk trial by questionnaire. Patient satisfaction was expressed on a Visual Analogue Scale for seven topics covering use and general satisfaction.
Results: Of the 378 patients, 55.2% were happy to continue with the novel device, which was 74% of patients using standard polyvinyl chloride (PVC) catheters and 36% of those using prelubricated PVC (p=0.04). No individual patient factors were found to be significant in catheter choice. For the whole study population "ability to comply with daily life activities" was maintained with the novel product despite handling and general satisfaction being found more troublesome.
Conclusions: The main finding was that more than 50% of the patients wished to continue with the novel catheter and reported increased satisfaction regarding introduction of the catheter, handling, time spent, perception of IC, general satisfaction, and ability to cope with daily life.