Pad test with fixed bladder volume in urinary stress incontinence

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Gynecology
• Physical Therapy

Background:

• Urinary stress incontinence (USI) significantly impacts quality of life.
• Objective quantification of leakage during physical activity is crucial for diagnosis.
• Current urodynamic investigations may not fully replicate real-world stress scenarios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present and evaluate a pad-weighing test for assessing urinary stress incontinence.
• To determine the reliability and correlation of leakage measurements during a standardized exercise protocol.
• To assess the relationship between objective leakage and subjective patient perception.

Main Methods:

• A pad-weighing test was conducted on participants with urinary stress incontinence.
• The test involved a standardized 15-minute physical exercise program.
• Testing was initiated at 75% of maximum bladder capacity and repeated once to assess intraindividual variability.

Main Results:

• Leakage was greater during the second test compared to the first.
• A highly significant intraindividual correlation was found between leakage amounts in the two tests.
• The degree of urinary leakage did not correlate with subjective patient assessments of incontinence severity.

Conclusions:

• The pad-weighing test is a reliable method for quantifying urinary stress incontinence during exercise.
• The test demonstrates good intraindividual reproducibility.
• This pad-weighing test can be integrated into routine urodynamic investigations for improved diagnosis.