[German validation of the Acute Cystitis Symptom Score]

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Medical Diagnostics
• Health Informatics

Background:

• The Acute Cystitis Symptom Score (ACSS) was developed in Uzbek to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of acute cystitis (AC).
• Validation of the ACSS in German is essential for its broader clinical application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the German version of the Acute Cystitis Symptom Score (ACSS).
• To assess the reliability and validity of the German ACSS for diagnosing acute cystitis.

Main Methods:

• The ACSS, comprising 18 questions across four subscales, was translated into German following international guidelines.
• 36 German-speaking women (19 with AC, 17 controls) participated in the validation study.
• Statistical analyses included reliability (Cronbach's α), validity, predictive ability, ROC analysis, Mann-Whitney's U test, and t-test.

Main Results:

• The German ACSS demonstrated high reliability with Cronbach's α of 0.87.
• A threshold score of ≥ 6 in the 'typical symptoms' subscale accurately predicted AC with 94.7% sensitivity and 82.4% specificity.
• No significant differences were observed in ACSS scores between patient and control groups compared to the original Uzbek version.

Conclusions:

• The German version of the ACSS is a reliable and valid instrument.
• The validated German ACSS can be effectively utilized in clinical practice and research for diagnosing and monitoring patients with acute cystitis.