Even Children Can Learn To Do Clean Self-Catheterization

Molly, a child with myelomeningocele, had been in diapers for eight years. Indwelling catheters, urine collection devices, and diversionary surgery-all of these methods to manage chronic urinary dysfunction create problems, but for years they have been the only alternatives for patients with a neurogenic or atonic bladder. Today clean, intermittent self-catheterization allows some of these patients, perhaps for the first time in their lives, to remain dry, uninfected, and in control of their urinary functions. The patient catheterizes himself (or is catheterized) with a rubber or plastic catheter five to six times a day, using a clean, nonsterile technique. The benefits of intermittent cathe-