4 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
Pelvic fracture urethral injuries (PFUI) occur in up to 10% of pelvic fractures. It remains controversial whether initial urethral realignment after PFUI decreases rates of urethral obstruction and the need for subsequent urethral procedures. The retrospective record review should determine the utility of acute urethral realignment after PFUI.
Urinary \[Foley\] catheters \[tubes\] are commonly placed in patients undergoing surgery; approximately 25% of surgical patients will receive one. Among patients who receive urinary catheters, discomfort associated with the Foley catheter is common; between 47-90% of patients experience catheter related bladder discomfort \[CRBD\]. Presence of a foreign object in the bladder even for short periods of time may result in symptoms such as a burning sensation, pain in the lower abdomen, muscle spasms and a sense of urgency to urinate. There is some evidence that suggests that hospital-acquired urinary tract infections are directly related to catheter placement, which causes mechanical damage and local inflammation to the urethra and the bladder. Based on research conducted on a similar mechanism where an airway tube is inserted into a patients throat for delivery of general anesthesia - we hypothesize that CRBD is related to injury and inflammation caused by the catheter placement and that this occurs in a sterile environment.
This is a Phase I clinical study to determine the safety and efficacy of using autologous, engineered urethral constructs for the treatment of urethral strictures in adult males. The proposed study design is a prospective non-randomized and uncontrolled single-center investigation. Autologous urothelial cells (UCs) and smooth muscle cells (SMCs), obtained from enrolled male subjects' bladder tissue samples, will be culture expanded in vitro and used to seed tubular PGA scaffolds to create autologous urethral constructs for the repair of urethral strictures.
The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate methods in spinal cord injured individuals to improve reflex urination. Anal dilation will be investigated to reduce high urethral resistance and a vibrator on the patient's bottom will be tested to induce more sustained bladder contractions for better bladder emptying.