Enuresis in Children: Common Questions and Answers.

Nocturnal enuresis is defined as nighttime urinary incontinence occurring at least twice weekly in children five years and older. Approximately 14% of children have spontaneous resolution each year without treatment. Subtypes of nocturnal enuresis include nonmonosymptomatic enuresis and primary and secondary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis. Monosymptomatic enuresis is characterized by nighttime bedwetting without daytime urinary incontinence. Pathophysiology of primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis may be due to sleep arousal disorder, overproduction of urine, small bladder storage capacity, or detrusor overactivity. Children with nonmonosymptomatic enuresis have daytime and nighttime symptoms resulting from a variety of underlying etiologies. An in-depth history is an integral component of the initial evaluation. For all types of enuresis, a comprehensive physical examination and urinalysis should be performed to help identify the cause. It is important to reiterate to the family that bedwetting is not the child's fault. Treatment should begin with behavioral modification, which then progresses to enuresis alarm therapy and oral desmopressin. Enuresis alarm therapy is more likely to produce long-term success; desmopressin yields earlier symptom improvement. Treatment of secondary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis and nonmonosymptomatic enuresis should primarily focus on the underlying etiology. Pediatric urology referral should be made for refractory cases in which underlying genitourinary anomalies or neurologic disorders are more likely. .

Unexpected Effects of a System-Distributed Mobile Application in Maternity Care: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: As pregnant mothers increasingly engage in shared decision making regarding prenatal decisions, such as induction of labor, the patient's level of activation may influence pregnancy outcomes. One potential tool to increase patient activation in the clinical setting is mobile applications. However, research is limited in comparing mobile apps with other modalities of patient education and engagement tools. AIM: This study was designed to test the effectiveness of a mobile app as a replacement for a spiral notebook guide as a patient education and engagement tool in the prenatal clinical setting. METHOD: This randomized controlled trial was conducted in the Women's Health Clinic and Family Health Clinic of three hospitals. Repeated-measures analysis of covariance was used to test intervention effects in the study sample of 205 patients. RESULTS: Mothers used a mobile app interface to more frequently record information about their pregnancy; however, across time, mothers using a mobile app reported a significant decrease in patient activation. DISCUSSION: The unexpected negative effects in the group of patients randomized to the mobile app prompt these authors to recommend that health systems pause before distributing their own version of mobile apps that may decrease patient activation. CONCLUSION: Mobile apps can be inherently empowering and engaging, but how a system encourages their use may ultimately determine their adoption and success.