One 24-hour frequency-volume chart in a woman with objective urinary motor urge incontinence is sufficient

Abstract

Objectives. To determine whether one 24-hour frequency-volume (FV) chart in a woman with objective urinary motor urge incontinence is sufficient to gain insight into her voiding habits. Methods. Retrospectively, women 18 years old and older with urodynamically confirmed urinary motor urge incontinence without neurologic disease or other urologic pathologic findings, who correctly completed two or three 24-hour FV charts during normal daily life, were studied. For each patient, we compared the voiding parameters (mean voided volume, diuria, nocturia, minimum and maximum voided volumes, and total voided volume) and fluid intake calculated from the first FV chart with the same data calculated from all the FV charts. Results. Ninety-eight adult women were recruited. A marked dropout occurred, and 60 patients remained to be evaluated (mean age 54.5 ± 15.5 years). The calculated voiding parameters agreed with those in published reports. Strong associations existed between all voiding parameters and fluid intake calculated from the first FV chart and those calculated from all FV charts ( P <0.001 for all parameters). Compared with the well-known variability, the differences between the voiding parameters calculated from the first FV chart and those from all charts were small. These results agreed with studies in other patient groups (benign prostatic hyperplasia and interstitial cystitis) that analyzed the use of only one 24-hour FV chart. Conclusions. The use of only one 24-hour FV chart completed during normal daily life by a woman with objective urinary motor urge incontinence is sufficient to gain insight into her voiding habits.