The pooled analysis evaluates the therapeutic efficacy of desmopressin combined with anticholinergic drugs in the treatment of pediatric nocturnal enuresis.

OBJECTIVE: This pooled analysis aims to demonstrate the clinical efficacy and safety of combined desmopressin and anticholinergic therapy in the treatment of pediatric nocturnal enuresis (NE). METHODS: A systematic search was conducted through PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, ResearchGate, and Cochrane Library to identify all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing monotherapy with desmopressin versus combined therapy with desmopressin and anticholinergic agents for the treatment of NE. Data analysis was performed using RevMan version 5.4.1. RESULTS: This study included 8 RCTs involving a total of 659 patients. The frequencies of complete response (CR), partial response (PR), and nonresponse (NR) were computed for both short-term treatment (1 month) and long-term treatment (3 months). Additionally, alterations in the mean number of NE episodes, adverse events, and relapse were assessed. Our analysis indicates that, in comparison to the monotherapy group, the combination therapy group plays a pivotal role in augmenting the CR odds and diminishing the NR ratios in both short-term and long-term treatments (1 month CR ratio [risk ratio (RR): 1.84; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22-2.76; p = 0.003, I2 = 72%]; 3 months CR ratio [RR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.25-1.76; p < 0.00001, I2 = 0%]; 1 month NR ratio [RR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.55-0.82; p = 0.0001, I2 = 0%]; 3 months CR ratio [RR: 0.37; 95% CI: 0.19-0.73; p = 0.004, I2 = 0%]). Furthermore, in both short-term and long-term treatment, the combined therapy group exhibits a greater magnitude of change in the average number of NE episodes compared to patients receiving monotherapy (1 month, mean difference [MD] = -2.97; 95% CI: -4.23 to -1.71, p < 0.0001; 3 months, MD = -4.30; 95% CI: -7.18 to -1.43, p = 0.003). Moreover, the combination therapy group exhibits a significant reduction in the recurrence rate (RR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.15-0.86; p = 0.02). There is no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events between the two groups (RR: 1.16; 95% CI: 0.58-2.31; p = 0.67). CONCLUSION: Combining desmopressin with anticholinergic medications is more effective for NE than desmopressin alone, with lower recurrence and minimal adverse effects.

Management of treatment-resistant nocturnal enuresis.

Nocturnal enuresis is defined as intermittent urinary incontinence during sleep in children 5 years of age and older, occurring at least once a month for at least 3 months. In Japan, pediatricians who do not specialize in nocturnal enuresis have become more proactive in treating the condition since 2016, when the guidelines for treating it were revised for the first time in 12 years. For monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis, the first step is lifestyle guidance, with a focus on the restriction of fluid intake at night; however, if lifestyle guidance does not decrease the frequency of nocturnal enuresis, aggressive treatment should be added. The first choice of aggressive treatment is oral desmopressin, an antidiuretic hormone preparation, or alarm therapy. However, there remain patients whose wet nights do not decrease with oral desmopressin or alarm therapy. In such cases, it is necessary to reconfirm the method of desmopressin administration and check for factors that may decrease the efficacy of desmopressin. If alarm therapy does not increase the number of dry nights, it is possible that the patient is fundamentally unsuitable for alarm therapy. If dry nights do not increase with oral desmopressin or alarm therapy, the next treatment strategy should be considered immediately to keep the patient motivated for treatment.

Desmopressin Plus Tolterodine vs Desmopressin Plus Indomethacin for Refractory Pediatric Enuresis: An Open-label Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of desmopressin plus tolterodine (D+T) with desmopressin plus indomethacin (D+I) for treating enuresis in children. DESIGN: Open-label randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Bandar Abbas Children's Hospital, a tertiary care children's hospital in Iran, from March 21, 2018, to March 21, 2019. PARTICIPANTS: 40 children older than five years with monosymp-tomatic and non-monosymptomatic primary enuresis resistant to desmopressin monotherapy. INTERVENTION: Patients were randomized to receive either D+T (60 µg sublingual desmopressin and 2 mg tolterodine) or D+I (60 µg sublingual desmopressin and 50 mg indomethacin) every night before bedtime for five months. OUTCOME: Reduction in the frequency of enuresis was evaluated at one, three, and five months, and response to treatment at five months. Drug reactions and complications were also noted. RESULTS: After adjustment for age, consistent incontinence from toilet training, and non-monosymptomatic enuresis, D+T was significantly more efficacious than D+I; mean (SD) percent in nocturnal enuresis reduction at 1 [58.86 (7.27)% vs 31.18 (3.85) %; P<0.001], 3 [69.78 (5.99) % vs 38.56 (3.31) %; P<0.000], and 5 [84.84(6.21) % vs 39.14 (3.63) %; P<0.001] months showing a large effect. At 5 months, complete response to treatment was only observed with D+T, while treatment failure was significantly higher with D+I (50% vs 20%; P=0.047). None of the patients in either group developed cutaneous drug reactions or central nervous system symptoms. CONCLUSION: Desmopressin plus tolterodine appears to be superior to desmopressin plus indomethacin for treating pediatric enuresis resistant to desmopressin.

Limited caffeine consumption as first-line treatment in managing primary monosymptomatic enuresis in children: how effective is it? A randomised clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: Evidence about the negative caffeine effect on enuresis in children remains understudied or poorly understood. The study aimed to investigate the effect of caffeine restriction on the improvement and severity of primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (PMNE). DESIGN: Randomised clinical trial. SETTING: Two referral hospitals in Tehran, Iran, from 2021 to 2023. PATIENTS: Five hundred and thirty-four PMNE children aged 6-15 years (each group 267). INTERVENTIONS: Amount of caffeine consumption was recorded by the feed frequency questionnaire and was estimated by Nutrition 4 software. Caffeine consumption per day in the intervention group was <30 mg, and in the control group, 80-110 mg. All children were asked to return 1 month later to check the recorded data. The ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to assay the effects of caffeine restriction on PMNE by relative risk (RR) at a 95% CI. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The effect of limited caffeine consumption on the improvement and severity of PMNE. RESULTS: The mean age of the intervention and control groups was 10.9±2.3 and 10.5±2.5 years, respectively. The mean number of bed-wetting before caffeine restriction in the intervention and control group was 3.5 (SD 1.7) times/week and 3.4 (SD 1.9) times/week (p=0.91) and 1 month after intervention were 2.3 (SD 1.8) times/week and 3.2 (SD 1.9) times/week, respectively (p=0.001). Caffeine restriction significantly reduced the severity of enuresis in the intervention group. Fifty-four children (20.2%) improved (dry at night) in caffeine restriction and 18 children (6.7%) in the control group with RR 0.615 at 95% CI 0.521 to 0.726, p=0.001. The caffeine restriction significantly reduced the enuresis in children with a number-needed-to-treat benefit 7.417. It means you must treat 7.417 PMNE children with caffeine limitation to improve one child with enuresis (become dry). CONCLUSION: Caffeine restriction can be helpful in reducing PMNE or its severity. Constructive limitation of caffeine is suggested as one of the first-line treatments in the management of PMNE. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: IRCT20180401039167N3.

Comparative Analysis of Solifenacin Plus Desmopressin Versus Desmopressin Alone in the Treatment of Primary Mono Symptomatic Nocturnal Enuresis.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy and tolerability of Solifenacin plus Desmopressin and Desmopressin alone in the treatment of primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (PMNE). METHODS: A total of 88 children, 5-14 years old, diagnosed with PMNE were enrolled in this randomized control trial (RCT) from June 2017 to June 2020. After informed written consent patients were randomized to one of the two therapeutic groups. Group 1 received one puff of desmopressin nasal spray 1 h before bedtime every night. Group 2 received one pill of solifenacin 5 mg plus one puff of desmopressin nasal spray 1 h before bedtime every night. All patients were evaluated after three months for their response to treatment and drug side effects. RESULTS: The mean age in desmopressin alone group and solifenacin plus desmopressin group was 8.1 ± 2.2 (5-14) and 7.9 ± 2.2 (5-14) years respectively (p-value >0.05). In group 2, 37/44 (84.09%) patients achieved complete response after three months of treatment in comparison to group 1 in which 27/44 (61.36%) patients showed complete response (p-value <0.05). In group 1, 8/44 (18.18%) patients developed treatment related side effects whereas in group 2, 12/44 (27.27%) patients developed side effects (p-value >0.05). No case of discontinuation of treatment due to side effects was observed in any of the two groups. The recurrence rate was also significantly lower in group 2 in comparison to group 1 (8.1% vs 33.3%, p-value <0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that the combination of Solifenacin plus Desmopressin is more effective than desmopressin monotherapy in the treatment of PMNE with an acceptable tolerability profile. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level I.

The effect of screen time on the presentation and treatment of primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate if there was any relationship between screen time (ST) and the severity of primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (PMNE) and treatment success. METHODS: This study was conducted in urology and child and adolescent phsychiatry clinic in Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University Hospital. After diagnosis patients were seperated by the ST for exploring causation. Group 1 > 120, Group 2 < 120 (min/day). For the the treatment response, patients were grouped again. Group 3 patients were administered 120 mcg Desmopressin Melt (DeM) and were requested < 60 min ST. Patients in Group 4 were given 120 mcg DeM solely. RESULTS: The first stage of the study included 71 patients. The ages of the patients ranged from 6 to 13. Group 1 comprised 47 patients, 26 males and 21 females. Group 2 comprised 24 patients,11 males and 13 famales. Median age was 7 years in both groups. The groups were similar in respect of age and gender (p = 0.670, p = 0.449, respectively). A significant relationship was determined between ST and PMNE severity. Severe symptoms were seen at the rate of 42.6% in the Group 1, and at 16.7% in the Group 2 (p = 0.033). 44 patients completed the second stage of the study. Group 3 comprised 21 patients, 11 males and 10 females. Group 4 comprised 23 patients,11 males and 12 famales. Median age was 7 years in both groups. The groups were similar in respect of age and gender (p = 0.708, p = 0.765, respectively). Response to treatment was determined as full response in 70% (14/20) in Group 3 and in 31% (5/16) in Group 4 (p = 0.021). Failure was determined in 5% (1/21) in Group 3 and in 30% (7/23) in Group 4 (p = 0.048). Recurrence was determined at a lower rate in Group 3 where ST was restricted (7% vs. 60%, p = 0.037). CONCLUSION: High screen exposure may be a factor for PMNE aetiology. And also reducing ST to a normal range can be an easy and beneficial method for treatment of PMNE. Trial Registration ISRCTN15760867( www.isrctn.com ). Date of registration: 23/05/2022. This trial was registered retrospectively.

Copeptin improves prediction of treatment response in children with monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis.

OBJECTIVE: One of the main medical treatment options for monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (MNE) is the vasopressin analog desmopressin. But not all children respond to desmopressin treatment, and no reliable treatment predictor has yet been established. We hypothesize that plasma copeptin, a surrogate marker for vasopressin, can be used to predict treatment response to desmopressin in children with MNE. DESIGN/METHODS: In this prospective observational study, we included 28 children with MNE. At baseline, we assessed the number of wet nights, morning, and evening plasma copeptin, and plasma sodium and started treatment with desmopressin (120 µg daily). Desmopressin was increased to 240 µg daily if clinically necessary. The primary endpoint was reduction in the number of wet nights following 12 weeks of treatment with desmopressin using plasma copeptin ratio (evening/morning copeptin) at baseline. RESULTS: Eighteen children responded to desmopressin treatment at 12 weeks, while 9 did not. A copeptin ratio cutoff of 1.34 (sensitivity 55.56%, specificity 94.12%, area under the curve 70.6%, P = .07) was best at predicting treatment response, with a lower ratio indicating a better treatment response. In contrast, neither the number of wet nights at baseline (P = .15) nor serum sodium (P = .11) alone or in combination with plasma copeptin improved outcome prediction. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that, of our investigated parameters, plasma copeptin ratio is the best predictor for treatment response in children with MNE. Plasma copeptin ratio could thus be useful to identify children with the highest benefit of desmopressin treatment and improve individualized treatment of MNE.

The efficacy of standard urotherapy in the treatment of nocturnal enuresis in children: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Standard urotherapy in children with nocturnal enuresis (NE) is first-line treatment according to the current International Children's Continence Society (ICCS) guidelines. ICCS defines standard urotherapy as information and demystification, instruction in how to resolve lower urinary tract dysfunction, lifestyle advice, registration of symptoms and voiding habits, and support and encouragement. These interventions often are time consuming and some aspects of urotherapy, such as fluid restrictions, can be a frustrating process for a child, which emphasizes the importance of clarifying their relevance. The purpose of this review is to perform a systematic search in literature to evaluate the use of standard urotherapy in the treatment of children with primary NE (PNE). STUDY DESIGN: A systematic literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL based on the key concepts of standard urotherapy and NE. We identified 2,476 studies. After a systematic selection process using the Covidence tool, 39 studies were included. The quality of the studies was assessed by the QualSyst Checklist. Our protocol adheres to the PRISMA statement and was registered in PROSPERO database (CRD42020185611). RESULTS: Most of the 39 included studies scored low in quality. All studies combined several urotherapy interventions and studied different study populations. Twenty-two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included, which reported 0-92% of children being dry after urotherapy treatment. Three RCTs, all individualizing and optimizing drinking and voiding during the day and practicing optimal toilet posture, scored higher in quality based on the QualSyst score, and reported few children experiencing complete resolution of NE (5-33%). Eight studies compared the efficacy of urotherapy to a control group, however, conflicting results were found. DISCUSSION: This systematic review presents available literature in the field of standard urotherapy in the treatment of children with PNE. One possible explanation for low efficacy rates of urotherapy in NE is the large heterogeneity of the study populations and interventions. Additionally, the intervention period and the intensity of intervention can have an impact on the outcome. CONCLUSION: The number of clinical studies on standard urotherapy in children with NE is limited and many of them are of poor quality. High quality research in a well-defined NE population is needed to establish the role of standard urotherapy in first-line treatment of children with NE or as an add-on to other first line treatments. We conclude that at present there is insufficient evidence for recommending standard urotherapy to children with PNE as a first line treatment modality.

A prospective and randomized study comparing the use of alarms, desmopressin and imipramine in the treatment of monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis.

BACKGROUND: Monosymptomatic enuresis (MNE) results from a pathogenic triad that may include lack of vasopressin secretion during sleep, reduced functional bladder capacity and inability to wake up during sleep. The treatment of MNE can be performed through behavioral therapy, use of alarms or medications such as desmopressin and imipramine. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of different treatments of MNE. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective and randomized study comparing different intervention and a control group (receiving only behavior therapy) for MNE. INCLUSION CRITERIA: age between 5 and 16 years old, with MNE, evaluated at the pediatric urology outpatient clinic of Hospital Infantil Menino Jesus. At first visit children were submitted to behavior therapy (urotherapy) for 3 months, children were subsequently characterized according to the ICCS as non-responders, partial responders, or full responders. Those partial responders or non-responders received a patient ID and were randomized to four groups: Alarm Group (G1), Desmopressin Group - DDAVP (G2), Imipramine Group (G3) and Control (G4). All groups were monitored monthly, for a period of 6 months. After 6 months, the children were reevaluated for MNE. RESULTS: 93 patients were enrolled. Mean age was 10.96 years with a standard deviation of 2.28 years, 59,1% were male. All groups had improvement in the number of dry nights (Table). Taking in account success the population full responders and partial responders: Alarm Group (G1) achieve success in 100% of cases, Desmopressin Group - DDAVP (G2) in 63.6% of cases, Imipramine Group (G3) in 73.7% of cases (Table 3). No drugs side effects were observed in both groups (G2 and G3), there was no dropout in patients who used alarms. DISCUSSION: Our data suggests that the use of alarms is the most effective treatment of ENM with superior results when compared to imipramine and DDAVP. The small number of participants is a weakness of the study, as well as the lack of a voiding diary at the end of the study. CONCLUSION: All therapeutics options utilized in the treatment of MNE are safe, effective and has a low rate of abandonment.

Combination therapy (desmopressin plus oxybutynin) improves the response rate compared with desmopressin alone in patients with monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis and nocturnal polyuria and absence of constipation predict the response to this treatment.

Combination therapy (CT) (desmopressin plus oxybutynin) has been considered for the treatment of monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (MNE). We designed our study with the aim to evaluate the response rate to CT compared with desmopressin alone (primary outcome) and to identify factors associated with the response to CT (secondary outcome). We prospectively enrolled children with MNE with absent/partial response after 3 months of evening treatment with 240 mcg of desmopressin. We defined the response rate to CT compared with desmopressin alone according to the standardization of terminology document of the International Children's Continence Society: no-response, < 50% reduction; partial response, 50 to 99% reduction; and complete response, 100% reduction of wet nights. Both partial response and complete response to CT were clustered for the analyses of this manuscript. The enrolled children treated with 240 mcg/evening of desmopressin had also an additional evening administration of 0.3 mg/kg oxybutynin. A follow-up was scheduled at 3 and 6 months after the beginning of CT. At 3 months, oxybutynin dose was augmented to 0.5 mg/kg in case of absent/partial response to CT. Nocturnal diuresis was measured in 5 wet nights prior the beginning of therapy with desmopressin. Nocturnal polyuria (NP) was defined as nocturnal urine production > 130% of the expected bladder capacity. All patients with constipation were treated with macrogol. We enrolled 81 children (35.8% females) with a mean age of 8.4 ± 2.3 years. Seventy-eight patients completed the follow-up. After the CT, 59/78 (75.6%) patients showed an improvement of the response with CT compared with desmopressin alone. At multivariate analysis, both NP in more than 1 night (OR = 8.5; 95% CI, 1.4-51.6; p = 0.02) and absence of constipation (OR = 7.1; 95% CI, 1.6-31.0; p = 0.009) resulted significant after Bonferroni correction. CONCLUSIONS: CT determines an improvement of response compared to therapy with desmopressin alone in 75.6% of patients. Significant predictive factors of response to CT were presence of NP and absence of constipation. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Combination therapy (CT) (desmopressin plus anticholinergic drug) has been described as a therapeutic option for patients with monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (MNE) not responding to desmopressin alone as first-line treatment. • Variable protocols and variable combination of drugs have been described with a response rate ranging from 44 to 76%. WHAT IS NEW: • We found that 59 patients (75.6%) treated with evening administration of 240 mcg of sublingual desmopressin plus 0.3-0.5 mg/kg of oxybutynin had an improvement of response compared to treatment with desmopressin alone. • We add evidence that presence of frequently recurring nocturnal polyuria and absence of constipation are predictors of response to CT.

Effects of short-term treatment with vibegron for refractory nocturnal enuresis.

BACKGROUND: Long-term nocturnal enuresis treatment leads to stress and lowered self-esteem for children and their parents. This study evaluated the short-term effectiveness and safety of vibegron (50 mg) for children with refractory nocturnal enuresis. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of children with therapy-resistant enuresis was conducted using data for July to December 2019. Enuresis frequency was recorded during 30 days before and after additional vibegron administration with prior treatment. We assessed the treatment effectiveness based on enuresis frequencies between before and after treatment with vibegron 50 mg. Statistical evaluation was performed using a paired t-test. RESULTS: Among 29 children receiving vibegron, 14 (48.3%) exhibited a partial or complete response to the drug. Enuresis frequencies (mean ± standard deviation [SD]) were, respectively, 15.8 ± 9.2 and 9.5 ± 9.6 before and after treatment with vibegron during the observed 30 days. A statistically significant reduction in enuresis frequency was found (p < 0.001). Moreover, maximum mean±SD morning urine of 200 ± 62.9 mL before treatment with vibegron changed to 232 ± 76.6 mL after treatment. A significant increase in voiding volume in the early morning was found (p < 0.05). No drug-related severe adverse event was found. CONCLUSION: Short-term treatment with vibegron is safe and effective for children with refractory enuresis.

The value of case history and early treatment data as predictors of enuresis alarm therapy response.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Two central problems with the enuresis alarm are the family workload and the lack of predictors of therapy response. We wanted to look at predictors of alarm response in a setting reflecting clinical reality. METHODS: An alarm linked to a smartphone app was provided to enuretic children managed at pediatric outpatient wards. Baseline data (sex, age, daytime incontinence, urgency, previous therapies, arousal thresholds and baseline enuresis frequency) were recorded. Further information, such as enuretic episodes and actual alarm use, was gathered via the app during therapy. Therapy was given for 8-12 weeks or until 14 consecutive dry nights had been achieved. RESULTS: For the 196 recruited children the outcome was as follows: full responders (FR) 18.4%, partial responders (PR) 20.4%, nonresponders (NR) 22.4% and dropouts 38.8%. We found no clear predictors of response or adherence among baseline data. But as treatment progressed responders reduced their enuresis frequency as compared to NR (week two P = 0.003, week three and onwards P < 0.001). This is further illustrated in the Figure below. Furthermore, the children unable to complete the full treatment had more non-registered nights already from the second week (week two P = 0.005, week three P = 0.002 and so on). DISCUSSION: Anamnestic data give little predictive information regarding enuresis alarm response or adherence. Contrary to common belief neither daytime incontinence nor previous alarm attempts influenced treatment success. But after 2-4 weeks of therapy the children with a good chance of treatment success could be discerned by decreasing enuresis frequency, and the families that would not be able to comply with the full treatment showed incomplete adherence already during the first weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Maybe the enuresis alarm strategy should be changed so that the treatment is reassessed after one month and only children with a high chance of success continue. This way, unnecessary frustration for the families of therapy-resistant children may be reduced.

Dose-Dependent Enuresis in Methylphenidate Use.

OBJECTIVES: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. Although enuresis is a very common disorder in child diagnosed with ADHD, it may also develop because of methylphenidate. METHODS: Authors report here on a child case of ADHD that developed a probable enuresis related to methylphenidate. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should be aware that methylphenidate used in ADHD causes dose-dependent enuresis.

Efficiency of Japanese herbal medicine shokenchuto for nocturnal enuresis: An observational study.

Japanese traditional (Kampo) medicine has been empirically used for nocturnal enuresis (NE). This study aims to investigate the efficacy of one of the most popular formulas, shokenchuto (SKT). We retrospectively analyzed 110 patients with NE who were referred to our department. Following the diagnosis of NE, treatment was started with either alarm or/and desmopressin (DDAVP) therapy. Patient refractory to DDAVP monotherapy or to combination therapy consisting of DDAVP and bedwetting alarm were selected. SKT (Tsumura Co., Tokyo, Japan) extract at a dose of 2.5 g was administered orally to all intractable cases twice daily before meals. The treatment outcomes and safety were assessed. In total, 24 cases were patient refractory to DDAVP monotherapy or to combination therapy consisting of DDAVP and bedwetting alarm. SKT was highly effective in 8, effective in 7, and ineffective in 9. A significant difference was observed between ages 10 and over (P = 0.031). SKT was significantly effective as a treatment for NE in patients aged ≥10 years and could be a good alternative if alarm or DDAVP therapies are ineffective. We proposed evaluating SKT prospectively for NE.

The Safety and Efficacy of Fluoxetine for the Treatment of Refractory Primary Monosymptomatic Nocturnal Enuresis in Children: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: We investigated the efficacy and safety of fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, for treating refractory primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Children 8-18 years old with severe primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis unresponsive to alarm therapy, desmopressin, and anticholinergics were screened for eligibility. After excluding children with daytime urinary symptoms, constipation, underlying urological, neuropsychiatric, endocrinological, or cardiac conditions, patients were randomly and equally assigned to 10 mg fluoxetine once daily or placebo for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was treatment response according to the International Children's Continence Society terminology. Treatment-related adverse effects and nighttime arousal were secondary outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 150 children were enrolled, of whom 110 (56 in fluoxetine group and 54 in placebo group) with a mean age of 11.8 (SD 2.46) years were finally analyzed. After 4 weeks, 7.1% and 66.1% of the fluoxetine group achieved complete response and partial response (defined as 50%-99% reduction of the number of wet nights), respectively, versus 0% and 16.7% of the placebo group (P < .001). At 12 weeks, complete and partial responses were achieved in 10.7% and 21.4% of the fluoxetine group, respectively (vs 0% and 14.8% of the placebo group, P = .023). Fluoxetine-treated patients had fewer wet nights (4.7 [SD 4.2] fortnightly vs 9.7 [SD 3.5] at 4 weeks, P < .001; 5.7 [SD 4.4] vs 9.9 [SD 3.4] at 8 weeks, P < .001; 7.5 [SD 4.6] vs 9.9 [SD 3.4] at 12 weeks, P = .003). Fluoxetine was associated with improved nighttime arousal (P = .017), and minor and rapidly reversible adverse effects in 5 (8.9%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Fluoxetine is safe treatment for refractory primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis in children with good initial response that declines at 12 weeks.