ObjectiveTo explore the influence of evidence-based nursing care of catheterization on the incidence of urinary tract injury and urinary tract infection in patients with spinal cord injury and long-term indwelling catheters.MethodsFrom July 1st, 2017 to November 30th, 2018, 100 patients with spinal cord injury indwelling catheters in Department of Spinal Surgery were prospectively selected as the research objects. According to the admission time, patients admitted between July 2017 and February 2018 were assigned into the control group (n=50), and patients admitted between March 2018 and November 2018 were assigned into the observation group (n=50). Traditional catheter placement was used in the control group, while evidence-based catheter placement was used in the observation group. The incidences of catheter-related urethral injury and urinary tract infection after the catheterization were compared between the two groups.ResultsThere was no statistically significant difference in gender, age, diagnosis, or length of hospital stay between the two groups (P>0.05). Catheter placement was performed 57 times in the control group and 59 times in the observation group during hospitalization. After catheterization, the incidences of urethral hemorrhage and gross hematuria in the control group [22.80% (13/57) and 15.78% (9/57), respectively] were higher than those in the observation group [both were 1.69% (1/59)], with statistical differences between the two groups (P<0.05). The incidence of urinary tract infection in the control group differed from that in the observation group [42.0% (21/50) vs. 18.0% (9/50), P=0.009].ConclusionThe evidence-based urinary catheterization method for patients with spinal cord injury and long-term indwelling catheter can effectively prevent catheter-related urinary tract injury, reduce the incidence of catheter-related urinary tract infection during hospitalization, and improve the quality of clinical care.