Quantification of urinary incontinence in elderly women with the 48-hour pad test

The ability of 34 elderly women (79 +/- 6 years, range 71-95 years) with urinary incontinence to perform the 48-h perineal pad test in their home environment was investigated. The mean involuntary urinary loss during the 48-h observation period was 80 +/- 88 g (range (2-411 g). Thirty patients successfully compared the two perineal pad systems commercially available in Sweden (LIC and Mölnlycke). Twelve women considered the systems to be equivalent. Thirteen women preferred the Mölnlycke system while five women preferred the LIC system. There was a good correlation between the patients own weighing of the pads and control weighings at the clinic, performed on a precision weight scale (LIC: n = 15, r = 0.99; Mölnlycke: n = 15, r = 0.99). The 48-h perineal pad test performed in the patients home environment should have a given place in the investigation of urinary incontinence amongst elderly women.