Related Experiment Videos
An integrated haematuria clinic
A B Paul1, D A Collie, S R Wild
1University Department of Surgery/Urology, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh.
The British Journal of Clinical Practice
|May 1, 1993
Summary
A specialized clinic significantly reduced diagnosis and management delays for bladder cancer patients. Investigating all hematuria cases promptly improves patient outcomes and streamlines urological care.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Oncology
Background:
- Delayed management of bladder cancer negatively impacts patient prognosis.
- Early detection and intervention are crucial for improving bladder cancer outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effectiveness of a dedicated clinic in reducing diagnostic and management delays for bladder cancer.
- To evaluate the diagnostic yield of investigating microscopic and macroscopic hematuria.
Main Methods:
- Implementation of a specialized urology clinic offering same-day intravenous urography and flexible cystoscopy.
- Retrospective analysis of 305 patients investigated over a two-year period.
- Comparison of referral-to-treatment times before and after clinic establishment.
Main Results:
- The clinic reduced the mean delay between referral and trans-urethral resection of bladder tumors from 60 to 33 days (P < 0.01).
- Transitional cell carcinoma was diagnosed in 6% of microscopic hematuria cases and 15% of macroscopic hematuria cases.
- No significant difference was observed in cancer detection rates between microscopic and macroscopic hematuria (P = 0.08).
Conclusions:
- A single-day investigation clinic effectively decreases delays in diagnosing and managing bladder tumors.
- All patients presenting with hematuria, regardless of type, warrant thorough urological investigation.
- Streamlining diagnostic pathways is essential for improving bladder cancer patient prognosis.