Inadequate repeatability of the one‐hour pad test: the need for a new incontinence outcome measure

• Published in: BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology 2001-03, Vol.108 (3), p.315-319
• Main Authors: Simons, A.M., Yoong, W.C., Buckland, S., Moore, K.H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anxiety - etiology; Biological and medical sciences; Female; Humans; Incontinence Pads - standards; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nephrology. Urinary tract diseases; Prospective Studies; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Surveys and Questionnaires; Treatment Outcome; Urinary Bladder; Urinary Incontinence - diagnosis; Urinary Incontinence - psychology; Urinary system involvement in other diseases. Miscellaneous; Urinary tract. Prostate gland
• ISSN: 1470-0328; 1471-0528
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2001.00069.x

Objective To assess the reproducibility of two one‐hour pad tests performed within one week using serial ultrasound scanning to obtain identical bladder volumes, and to measure the effect of patient anxiety upon test reproducibility. Design Prospective observational study. Setting Tertiary urogynaecological unit. Sample Fifty‐six incontinent women undergoing 112 pad tests. Method Two one‐hour pad tests were performed with natural diuresis one week apart prior to treatment. At the second test, serial ultrasound scans were performed until bladder volume reached that of the first test, followed by identical provocation. Main outcome measures One‐hour pad loss, bladder volumes (Vol1, Vol2), anxiety VAS questionnaire. Results Despite serial scanning, bladder volumes differed significantly. Median volume before second pad test was 541 mL, compared with 433 mls before first test (P