At-home transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation: a therapeutic alternative in the management of pediatric overactive bladder syndrome
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I Casal-Beloy1, I Somoza Argibay1, M García-González1
1Pediatric Urology Unit, Pediatric Surgery Department. Complejo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña. A Coruña (Spain).
Introduction:
In recent years, bladder electroneurostimulation or TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) has emerged as a new alternative in the management of lower urinary tract dysfunctions. Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this therapy in children with overactive bladder.
Material And Methods:
Prospective study of patients diagnosed with overactive bladder and treated with electroneurostimulation. The system was maintained for 6 months. The severity of urinary symptoms was assessed using the PLUTSS (Pediatric Lower Urinary Tract Scoring System) questionnaire.
Results:
A total of 21 patients were included in the study, with an average age of 10 years (range: 6-16). The most frequent symptoms were incontinence (89%) and urgency (100%). Statistically significant differences (p<0.05) in mean PLUTSS scores between treatment initiation and treatment completion were found: PLUTSS was 17.8 (range: 10-29) at baseline, 7.21 (range: 2-16) at month 3, and 5.6 (range: 3-12) at month 6. The maximum voiding volume of all patients increased after 6 months of treatment. All patients had their quality of life improved at the end of the study.
Conclusions:
Home TENS therapy is a safe and effective option in the management of overactive bladder in the pediatric population. However, further randomized studies should be carried out to protocolize and clarify the effectiveness of this therapeutic approach.
