Male Voiding Behavior: Insight from 19,824 At-Home Uroflow Profiles.

PURPOSE: Benign prostatic hyperplasia is one of the most common conditions seen by a general urologist. Validated questionnaires provide insight into patient symptoms, however office based uroflow devices are limited by the variability of voiding behavior. Using a home uroflow device, we assessed individual voiding variability, temporal distribution of voiding parameters and the impact of age on voiding. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between April 2019 and June 2020, 19,824 unique voiding profiles were captured using the Stream Dx Uroflowmeter and retrospectively analyzed. Age and number of voids were summarized by mean±standard deviation. We used mixed effects models to compare average values and intrapatient variability of voiding parameters to time of day and age. The coefficient of variation was used to assess intrapatient variability. RESULTS: A total of 637 patients were identified with 625 meeting inclusion criteria, producing 19,824 voids. Mean age was 67 (±10.2) years old, and each patient provided on average 5 (±3.3) voids a day through 7 days. Average intrapatient voiding parameters showed notable variability, where the coefficient of variation for maximum flow was 27.6% (95% CI 26.6-28.6). Early morning voids were associated with higher volume and lower number of voids. As age progressed, voiding profiles worsened in a linear fashion. Afternoon and evening voids were associated with reduced intrapatient variability relative to early morning voids. CONCLUSIONS: Assessment of 19,824 uroflows using an accurate and precise home uroflow device demonstrates that an individual's voiding parameters vary greatly from day to day, throughout the day, and worsen with age. Multiple measurements performed at home provides a more realistic assessment of true voiding behavior by capturing individual voiding variability and can help urologists make better decisions in patient care.

High Rates of Inadequate Urine Volume Cause Failure of Clinic Based Uroflowmetry in Men with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms.

INTRODUCTION: Clinic based uroflowmetry is commonly used in the diagnosis and management of lower urinary tract symptoms. AUA (American Urological Association) guidelines recommend 2 separate uroflowmetry tests with a voided volume greater than 150 ml for accurate interpretation. We characterized the interpretability of a series of uroflowmetry tests done at our institution and hypothesized that a significant number were noninterpretable because of inadequate urine volume. METHODS: Uroflowmetry results were collected from male patients at the UH (University of Utah Hospital) and VAMC (George Wahlen Veterans Affairs Medical Center) urology clinics between August 31, 2014 and September 30, 2014. Average time to perform uroflowmetry was determined. Tests with a volume of 150 ml or less were classified as noninterpretable. Data were characterized using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: During the study period 169 tests were collected, including 104 at UH and 65 at VAMC, of which 107 (63%) were noninterpretable. An estimated total of 1,452 tests were performed at UH and VAMC within a 12-month period. Average time to perform uroflowmetry by health care workers was 2 minutes 18 seconds. The estimated time loss per year for medical personnel due to noninterpretable uroflow studies was 35 hours. CONCLUSIONS: More than 50% of clinic based uroflowmetry tests at our institution had a voided volume of 150 ml or less and were deemed noninterpretable per AUA guidelines. Current clinic based uroflowmetry testing strategies are inefficient and wasteful. Reliable, accurate alternatives to clinic based uroflowmetry for the diagnosis and management of lower urinary tract symptoms should be explored.