Original article
Therapeutic outcome and patient adherence to repeated onabotulinumtoxinA detrusor injections in chronic spinal cord-injured patients and neurogenic detrusor overactivity

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2013.10.009Get rights and content
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Background/Purpose

To investigate the continuous therapeutic effects and urinary incontinence severity after repeated detrusor injections of 200-U of onabotulinumtoxinA (BoNT-A) in chronic spinal cord-injured (SCI) patients.

Methods

Between 2006 and 2010, patients with chronic SCI and refractory neurogenic detrusor overactivity (DO) were treated with repeated sets of 200-U BoNT-A injected into 20 sites every 6 months. All patients underwent urological examinations and video-urodynamic studies at baseline and after each BoNT-A treatment. The outcomes were measured using Urogenital Distress Inventory 6-item short form (UDI-6) for urinary incontinence. The severity of urinary incontinence and urodynamic parameters were compared after each BoNT-A injection.

Results

A total of 59 SCI patients with a mean age of 42.1 ± 13.1 years were enrolled. The UDI-6 incontinence scores persistently improved for up to three injections. The rate of dryness and mild incontinence reported by patients persistently improved from 25.4% at baseline to 74% at 3 months after the fourth injection, but decreased slightly after the fourth injection. The overall satisfaction rate after single or repeated injections was 59.3% (35 patients), and the failure rate was 33.9% (20 patients), and discontinuation rate owing to adverse events (2 recurrent UTI, 2 autonomic dysreflexia) was 6.8% (4 patients). Among the 20 patients who reported failure to treatment, 10 patients (16.9%) reported no significant improvement after one or repeated injections, eight converted to augmentation enterocystoplasty.

Conclusion

Repeated 200-U BoNT-A injections every 6 months for neurogenic DO in chronic SCI patients provided a satisfactory initial outcome. However, only 20% patients continued the repeated treatment.

Keywords

botulinum toxin A
neurogenic detrusor
overactivity
incontinence
spinal cord injury

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Conflicts of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to this article.