Practice of clean intermittent catheterisation in children with spina bifida: A scoping review

Background: Spina bifida is a congenital neural tube defect, where there is incomplete formation of the spinal cord and vertebrae, resulting in abnormal development of the neural tube. This affects bladder function and urinary incontinence. Clean Intermittent Catheterization (CIC) is used to manage bladder and bowel management.Objectives: This study aims to scope evidence on the facilitators and barriers to usage and practice of CIC in children with spina bifida in low-income countries.Method: We searched databases including PUBMED, Web of Science and SCOPUS, and screened articles for inclusion following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The search terms included ‘Spina Bifida ([continence management] AND [clean intermittent catheterisation]) AND ([barriers to Clean Intermittent Catheterisation] OR [Low Income Countries]) OR (myelomeningocele)’. Full-text assessment for eligibility excluded 202 articles. Twenty-two articles were reviewed and twelve full-text articles were excluded because of limited content. Ten articles published in English between 2004 and 2023 were selected for review.Results: Barriers in practicing CIC include pain and discomfort in catheter insertion, stigma and fears; inaccessibility of public toilets, unavailability of appropriate catheters, difficulty in positioning, limited quality of teaching and challenges with accessing supplies. Facilitators include starting CIC in infancy, follow-up by healthcare providers, support from family and community members, quality of training, continuous practice of CIC, utilisation of lubricants, reuse of catheters and other low-cost materials.Conclusion: Our review summarises facilitators and barriers to CIC and provides recommendations for further research, which includes the involvement of family members and community-based rehabilitation workers.Contribution: This article contributes to a better understanding of CIC use in low-income countries.