Uroflowmetry parameters in healthy children between 5 and 15 years old

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Urology
• Diagnostic Imaging
• Urodynamics

Background:

• Uroflowmetry (UFM) is a crucial noninvasive test for diagnosing lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD).
• Establishing normative data for UFM in pediatric populations is essential for accurate diagnosis.
• Limited data exists for normal UFM values in healthy Turkish children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine normal uroflowmetry (UFM) values in healthy Turkish children.
• To establish local reference ranges for key UFM parameters.
• To provide a baseline for diagnosing lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) in this demographic.

Main Methods:

• 162 healthy children (100 girls, 62 boys) aged 5-15 years were enrolled.
• Uroflowmetry parameters including Qmax, Qavg, VV, time to maximum flow, and voiding time were measured using the Inoflow Smart System.
• Children were analyzed based on gender and two age groups (5-10 and 11-15 years).

Main Results:

• Mean maximum flow rate (Qmax) was significantly higher in girls (21.8 mL/s) than boys (17.98 mL/s) (p=0.003).
• Voided volume (VV), Qmax, and average flow rate (Qavg) were significantly higher in the 11-15 age group compared to the 5-10 age group.
• VV, Qmax, and Qavg demonstrated a direct positive correlation with age (p=0.0001 for each).

Conclusions:

• This study provides valuable normative uroflowmetry data for healthy Turkish children.
• The findings highlight gender and age-related differences in pediatric UFM parameters.
• This research contributes to the limited global knowledge base on normal pediatric uroflowmetry patterns.