Bladder diary characteristics and progress in patients with painful bladder syndrome

The utility and importance of the 3-day Bladder Diary (3dBD) for the diagnosis and management of patients with Bladder Pain Syndrome (BPS) was analyzed.

Epidemiological, observational, longitudinal and multicentric study, carried out under usual conditions of clinical practice. 37 Functional Urology and Urodynamics units included 329 women with BPS according to the criteria of the International Society for the Study of Bladder Pain Syndrome (ESSIC). Of all patients included, 319 were evaluable (79 with new diagnosis and 240 in follow-up). Sociodemographic and clinical variables were collected together with variables related to cystoscopy, biopsy and physical examination and BPS diagnostic tests. Patients completed the "Bladder Pain/Interstitial Cystitis - Symptom Score"(BPIC-SS), "Patient Global Impression of Severity" (PGI-S) and "EuroQoL-5D-5L" (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaires besides of the 3dBD. Results of the 3dBD were described according to urinary symptoms and the symptoms reported through questionnaires, in addition their association was studied.

In anamnesis, 74.9% of patients reported increased Urinary Frequency (UF), 59.6% urgency and72.7% nocturia compared to 88.7%, 55.9% and 73.6% as reflected in the 3dBD. The highest correlation indexes (CI) were obtained between BPIC-SS and UF/24h (0.45) and between UF/24 h and PGI-S (-0.36) and EQ-5D-5L (-0.33). Mean voiding volume was higher in patients with better BPIC-SS score (163.72 (SD 68.02ml) y 154.1 (SD 70.63 ml)), at 6 and 12 months.

3dBD has proven to be a useful and complementary tool to the anamnesis in the evaluation of the repercussion of pain in the micturition pattern and for the differential diagnosis of the symptoms of BPS patients. It also allows to obtain complete and objective information about the symptoms. Although it is necessary to incorporate other tools that complete the clinical characterization of these patients.