Diagnosis and Management of Postpartum Pelvic Floor Disorders.

Pelvic floor disorders are common in the postpartum period. These disorders can significantly affect one's quality of life during a period that is already filled with emotional and physiologic change. This review focuses on the presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of the 3 major pelvic floor disorders in postpartum women, namely, urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse.

Therapeutic effect and mechanism of polysaccharide from Alpiniae oxyphyllae fructus on urinary incontinence.

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the effects and mechanism of polysaccharide (PAOF) from Alpiniae oxyphyllae fructus on urinary incontinence (UI) in old-age hydruric model rats (OHMR). Results suggested that PAOF can significantly reduce the urination volume, Na+, Cl- emission and increase K+ excretion of OHMR. In addition, PAOF can increase the content of aldosterone (ALD) and antidiuretic hormone (ADH) in blood of OHMR. The coefficients of spleen, thymus and adrenal of OHMR were improved by PAOF. Furthermore, PAOF can not only elevate significantly the expression of ß3-adrenoceptor mRNA in bladder detrusor of OHMR, but also increase the content of adenylate cyclase (AC), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and protein kinase A (PKA) in bladder detrusor of OHMR. Meanwhile, PAOF can elevate significantly the expression of PKA protein in bladder detrusor of rats with polyuria. The data implied that PAOF may offer therapeutic potential against UI.

A Diaper Pad for Diaper-Based Urine Collection and Colorimetric Screening of Urinary Biomarkers.

The high prevalence of urinary tract infection in aging adults is a challenging aspect of geriatric care. Incontinence and cognitive/functional impairment make collection of urine samples difficult and often require either catheterization for sample collection, which is a risk factor for infections, or more lenient criteria for initiating antibiotic treatment. We report the development of a diaper inlay with absorbent materials, superabsorbent polymer-based valve and chemical reaction pads for rapid screening of urinary tract infection of incontinent diaper-wearing elderly receivers of home care services. The developed diaper inlay was capable of collecting, isolating, analyzing samples and retaining results > 8 h. The diaper inlay can therefore be compatible with the diaper changing routines of nurses in home care services, without requiring much time or effort. A nurse can insert a diaper inlay in a diaper and the results can be recorded during a later diaper change. Although the research focuses on tools for home care services, the nursing home sector has similar problems and may benefit from technological development for rapid screening to avoid unnecessary catheterization and overuse of antibiotics.

Basic or extended urine sampling to analyse urine production?

BACKGROUND: Frequency volume charts are valuable tools to objectify urine production in patients with nocturia, enuresis or nocturnal incontinence. Analyses of daytime and nighttime urine (=basic collection) or analyses of urine samples collected every 3 h (=extended collection) extend this evaluation by describing circadian patterns of water and solute diuresis (=renal function profiles). AIM: To assess intra-individual correlation and agreement between renal function profiles provided using basic and extended urine collections, and using two extended urine collections. To create a short-form of the extended collection. METHODS: This prospective observational study was executed at Ghent University Hospital, Belgium. Study participation was open for anyone visiting the hospital. Participants collected one basic and two extended 24-h urine collections. Urinary levels of osmolality, sodium and creatinine were determined. RESULTS: There was a moderate to strong correlation between results of basic and extended urinalyses. Comparing both extended urinalyses showed a moderate correlation between the eight individual samples and a weak to strong correlation between the mean daytime and nighttime values of renal functions. Different samples could be considered as most representative for mean daytime values, while all samples collected between 03 and 05am showed the highest agreement with mean nighttime values of renal function. CONCLUSION: Since there is a good correlation and agreement between basic and extended urine collections to study the mechanisms underlying urine production, the choice of urine sampling method to evaluate urine production depends on the purpose. A nighttime-only urine sample collected between 03 and 05am may be the most practical approach.

Does the Urinary Microbiome Play a Role in Urgency Urinary Incontinence and Its Severity?

OBJECTIVES: Traditionally, the urinary tract has been thought to be sterile in the absence of a clinically identifiable infection. However, recent evidence suggests that the urinary tract harbors a variety of bacterial species, known collectively as the urinary microbiome, even when clinical cultures are negative. Whether these bacteria promote urinary health or contribute to urinary tract disease remains unknown. Emerging evidence indicates that a shift in the urinary microbiome may play an important role in urgency urinary incontinence (UUI). The goal of this prospective pilot study was to determine how the urinary microbiome is different between women with and without UUI. We also sought to identify if characteristics of the urinary microbiome are associated with UUI severity. METHODS: We collected urine from clinically well-characterized women with UUI (n = 10) and normal bladder function (n = 10) using a transurethral catheter to avoid bacterial contamination from external tissue. To characterize the resident microbial community, we amplified the bacterial 16S rRNA gene by PCR and performed sequencing using Illumina MiSeq. Sequences were processed using the workflow package QIIME. We identified bacteria that had differential relative abundance between UUI and controls using DESeq2 to fit generalized linear models based on the negative binomial distribution. We also identified relationships between the diversity of the urinary microbiome and severity of UUI symptoms with Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: We successfully extracted and sequenced bacterial DNA from 95% of the urine samples and identified that there is a polymicrobial community in the female bladder in both healthy controls and women with UUI. We found the relative abundance of 14 bacteria significantly differed between control and UUI samples. Furthermore, we established that an increase in UUI symptom severity is associated with a decrease in microbial diversity in women with UUI. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides further characterization of the urinary microbiome in both healthy controls and extensively phenotyped women with UUI. Our results also suggest that the urinary microbiome may play an important role in the pathophysiology of UUI and that the loss of microbial diversity may be associated with clinical severity.

Contexto escolar e hábitos miccionais: estudo transversal com escolares do distrito federal / Contexto escolar y hábitos miccionales: estudio transversal con escolares del distrito federal / School setting and voiding habits: a cross-sectional study among school-aged children from the federal district

RESUMO Estudo transversal realizado em oito escolas públicas e particulares do Riacho Fundo,(Distrito Federal),com escolares deseis a 12 anos, com o objetivo de avaliar a frequência de ida e permissão para uso do toalete na escola, sob a perspectiva do escolar, assim como mensurar a taxa de ocorrência e o impacto da experiência de ter tido alguma vez na vida um evento de perda urinária no contexto escolar. A coleta de dados incluiu entrevista por meio de perguntas-chave desenvolvidas pelas pesquisadoras. A análise dos dados incluiu técnicas básicas de análise exploratória de dados como,frequência absoluta e relativa, calculadas no programa Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Das 86 crianças participantes da pesquisa, 73% (n=63) relataram irtodos os dias ao toalete escolar, ao passo que as que afirmam não utilizar o toalete apontaram como justificativas a falta de vontade, a falta de papel higiênico nos toaletes e a falta de privacidade ou problema com as portas. Quanto à permissão para o uso do toalete, 66% (n=57) afirmaram poder ir sempre que tivessem vontade. A experiência de perda urinária na escola foi relatada por17 (20%) crianças e apresentou impacto altamente negativo sob a perspectiva do escolar.

RESUMEN Se realizó un estudio transversal en 8 escuelas públicas y privadas del Riacho Fundo (Distrito Federal) con escolares de 6 a 12 años que tuvo como objetivo evaluar la frecuencia de idas y permiso al baño en la escuela bajo la perspectiva del escolar, así como medir la tasa de ocurrencia y el impacto de la experiencia de haber tenido alguna vez en la vida pérdida urinaria en el contexto escolar. La recolección de datos incluyó entrevistas con preguntas claves desarrolladas por los investigadores. El análisis de datos incluyó las técnicas básicas de análisis exploratorio de datos como la frecuencia absoluta y relativa, calculada utilizando el programa Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. De los 86 niños participantes, el 73% (n = 63) informaron ir todos los días al baño de la escuela, las justificaciones para no ir fueron falta de voluntad, la falta de papel higiénico y la falta privacidad o problemas con las puertas. En referencia al uso del baño, el 66% (n = 57) dijo que podían ir cuando tuviesen necesidad. La experiencia de pérdida urinaria en la escuela fue reportada por 17 (20%) niños y presentó un impacto muy negativo desde la perspectiva del escolar.

ABSTRACT This was a cross-sectional study conducted in 8 public and private schools of Riacho Fundo (Federal District), with children between 6 and 12 years old, that aimed to evaluate their frequency of going to the school restroom and permission to use it from the children's perspective, as well as to measure the rate of occurrence and impact of the experience of having had some once in a lifetime urinary leakage in the school setting. Data collection included interviews with key questions developed by the researchers. Data analysis included basic techniques of exploratory data analysis such as absolute and relative frequencies calculated using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences program. Out of 86 participating children, 73% (n = 63) reported going every day to the school restroom while those reporting not going pointed out reasons as they did not need to, lack of toilet paper, and lack of privacy or problems with the stalls' doors. Regarding permission to use the restroom, 66% (n = 57) stated being allowed to go whenever they needed. The experience of urinary incontinence at school was reported by 17 (20%) children and presented as a highly negative impact from their perspective.

Urinary Lignans Are Associated With Decreased Incontinence in Postmenopausal Women.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between urinary phytoestrogens and self-reported urinary incontinence in postmenopausal women in the United States using a large, cross-sectional, population-based cohort survey. METHODS: Data were analyzed for 1789 postmenopausal women aged 50 years or older who participated in one of the 2001-2010 cycles of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and underwent measurement of 4 isoflavone (soy derived) and 2 lignan (flax derived) phytoestrogens in their urine. Incontinence was defined as self-reported stress, urge, other, or mixed incontinence. Urine phytoestrogen concentrations were examined in weighted, multivariate logistic regression models for association with each of the lower urinary tract symptoms. All models were adjusted for age, body mass index, diabetes, race, smoking, and parity. RESULTS: Increasing urine concentrations of the lignan phytoestrogen enterodiol was associated with decreased likelihood of urge (odds ratio [OR], 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.85-0.99), mixed (OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.82-0.98), and other (OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.81-0.99) incontinence, whereas increasing urine concentrations of the lignan phytoestrogen enterolactone was associated with decreased likelihood of urge (OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.86-0.99) and mixed (OR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.84-0.99) incontinence. No association was observed between any isoflavone phytoestrogens and types of incontinence. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that lignan phytoestrogens may have a protective effect against incontinence in postmenopausal women. Prospective clinical and laboratory studies are warranted to investigate the mechanism of this relationship.

Development of a cumulative irritation model for incontinence-associated dermatitis.

Incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD) is a painful yet preventable form of cumulative skin irritation prevalent amongst those with limited movement. Consequently, it has a significant impact on the quality of life for those affected as well as substantial cost implications. Prevention and intervention is typically through good skin hygiene regimes and regular use of barrier products. In this paper, we describe the development of an in vivo model of IAD in healthy volunteers by occluded application of alkaline synthetic urine to the volar aspect of volunteer's forearms for 6 h per day over a five-day period to reproduce the moist and irritant conditions causative of IAD. Irritation was assessed and quantified on a daily basis by a series of non-invasive biophysical measurements and compared to a contralateral saline-treated (control) site. Dermal irritation was assessed by subjective (visual) and objective measurements (laser Doppler and polarisation spectroscopic imaging, infrared thermography, skin reflectance spectroscopy, transepidermal water loss and skin surface pH). The provocation of reproducible, cumulative skin irritation was successfully demonstrated and quantified. This five-day model of irritation is considered appropriate for the initial clinical assessment of topical products to prevent or treat IAD.

Arterial hypertension related to the injection of onabotulinumtoxinA in the detrusor.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: We want to report on a first case reported of a 50-year-old female with repetitive and clinical significant hypertension after each injection of onabotulinumtoxinA. This is a retrospective chart review and prospective evaluation of the natriuresis and blood pressure at baseline and after injection therapy. The aim was to explore the mechanism of action of this apparent onabotulinumtoxinA related hypertension. CASE PRESENTATION: Retrospectively hypertension appeared after 7 days and vanished after 4-5 months following injection of 300 units of onabotulinumtoxinA in the detrusor, bladder symptoms disappeared after 2 weeks and reoccurred after 5 months. Urological, nephrological, cardiological and endocrinological evaluations were normal. INTERVENTION: In the prospective evaluation a 3-day bladder diary at baseline revealed a bladder capacity of 131 ± 57 ml and at 1 month when full effect was experienced 173 ± 50 ml. At 1 month there were no leakages with six episodes of intermittent catheterization per day. The 24-hour blood pressure registration demonstrated the onset of hypertension at day 7 together with a reversal of the urinary sodium/creatinine ratios on the renal function profile. CONCLUSION: The increasing natriuresis coinciding with the hypertension is a normal compensatory mechanism suggesting that the hypertension has a central cause rather than it is caused by haematogenous spreading.

[Urinary incontinence in older multimorbid female patients. Screening and assessment]. / Harninkontinenz geriatrischer Patientinnen. Screening und Abklärung.

Symptoms of urinary incontinence are a common problem in elderly, multimorbid female patients. The first step in establishing optimal management is to screen patients routinely and address this pathology directly. Urinary incontinence is considered to be a geriatric syndrome. It develops as a consequence of many complex underlying and potentially synergistic factors related to ageing and disease. A multidimensional clinically based assessment of urinary incontinence should be performed using a defined multimodal method including geriatric assessment, medical history, targeted physical investigation, urinalysis, and measurement of post-void residual urine volume. The aim is to identify as many of the underlying factors and pathologies, followed by step-by-step treatment to alleviate or eliminate incontinence. With this approach, excellent therapeutic results can be achieved in practice, even in elderly patients.

What is the role for biomarkers for lower urinary tract disorders? ICI-RS 2013.

AIMS: A biomarker is an entity that measures a normal or pathological process, or the response to an intervention. A biomarker must measure exclusively and be sufficiently sensitive to the process of interest. Alternatively, a biomarker may give clues regarding the underlying pathology of the condition and be a useful research or specialist tool. If a biomarker is to be of practical benefit then it must also be economical and practical to use. This article will consider chemical moieties as biomarkers, although in principle physical markers (e.g., bladder wall thickness) could also be defined as such. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The validation of a biomarker for detrusor overactivity (DO) must appreciate the fact that the condition is likely to multifactorial and thus no single entity may be sufficiently selective and sensitive. However, more specific conditions, such as bladder pain associated with DO, may make the biomarker search easier. Several prospective agents including antiproliferative factor (APF) and epidermal growth factors (EGF) are discussed. Several urinary biomarkers, including neurotrophins (NGF, BDNF) and cytokines, and a serum marker, C-reactive protein, are considered as reaching the above criteria. All suffer from relatively poor lack of discrimination, as they all change in response to other, often inflammatory, conditions; BDNF may offer the highest expectations. Urinary ATP has also been proposed as a DO/OAB biomarker but requires further evaluation. Finally genetic markers offer potential to understand more about the pathophysiology of DO/OAB. The increasing availability of genome-wide association studies and micro-RNA assays offer genetic markers as a new generation of biomarkers. Neurourol. Urodynam. 33:602-605, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Major odorants released as urinary volatiles by urinary incontinent patients.

In this study, volatile urinary components were collected using three different types of samples from patients suffering from urinary incontinence (UI): (1) urine (A); (2) urine + non-used pad (B); and (3) urine + used pad (C). In addition, urine + non-used pad (D) samples from non-patients were also collected as a reference. The collection of urinary volatiles was conducted with the aid of a glass impinger-based mini-chamber method. Each of the four sample types (A through D) was placed in a glass impinger and incubated for 4 hours at 37 °C. Ultra pure air was then passed through the chamber, and volatile urine gas components were collected into Tedlar bags at the other end. These bag samples were then analyzed for a wide range of VOCs and major offensive odorants (e.g., reduced sulfur compounds (RSCs), carbonyls, trimethylamine (TMA), ammonia, etc.). Among the various odorants, sulfur compounds (methanethiol and hydrogen sulfide) and aldehydes (acetaldehyde, butylaldehyde, and isovaleraldehyde) were detected above odor threshold and predicted to contribute most effectively to odor intensity of urine incontinence.

Electric impedance tomography for monitoring volume and size of the urinary bladder.

A novel non-invasive technique for monitoring fluid content in the human bladder is described. Specifically, a precommercial electric impedance tomograph (EIT) was applied to measure and visualize impedance changes in the lower torso due to changes in bladder volume. Preliminary measurements were conducted during routine urodynamic tests of nine male paraplegic patients, in whom a contrast agent was slowly infused into the bladder for diagnostic purposes. In some patients, a good correlation between bladder volume and EIT measurements was found, whereas in others the correlation was still good but inverted, presumably due to a poor electrode positioning. These preliminary results indicate that a sufficiently accurate finite element modeling of the impedance distribution in the abdomen, and proper electrode positioning aids, are important prerequisites to enable this technology to be used for routine measurement of bladder volume.

Detection of nuclear matrix protein 22 and survivin baseline level in patients after radical cystectomy.

We investigated the baseline levels of urine nuclear matrix protein 22 (U-NMP22) and survivin in urine after radical cystectomy for primary invasive bladder cancer. We measured U-NMP22 and survivin values in 72 patients with four types of urinary diversion (Indiana bladder, Bricker bladder, Mainz bladder and orthotopic bladder) after radical cystectomy and 25 healthy volunteers. We also analyzed the relation between the U-NMP22 and survivin level and other variables among patients with continent urinary diversion and incontinent urinary diversion as well as healthy controls, and found that the U-NMP22 and survivin values were not associated with postoperative interval or gender. The U-NMP22 values (mean ± standard error) for continent urinary diversion, incontinent urinary diversion and healthy controls were 12.08 ± 0.10, 16.62 ± 0.15 and 0.01 ± 0.00 U/ml, respectively. The survivin values (mean ± standard error) for continent urinary diversion, incontinent urinary diversion and healthy controls were 0.47 ± 0.06, 0.69 ± 0.16 and 0.02 ± 0.03 U/ml, respectively. The U-NMP22 and survivin values in the Bricker bladder group were significantly higher than the values in the other three groups. We noted that increased levels of U-NMP22 and survivin after radical cystectomy varied according to different predictors, which may be useful for designing strategies to follow these cases.

Pad per day usage, urinary incontinence and urinary tract infections in nursing home residents.

BACKGROUND: many elderly suffer from urinary incontinence and use absorbent pads. Pad use per day (PPD) is a frequently used measure of urinary incontinence. Nursing home residents are often dependent on help from nursing staff to change pads. This study was performed in order to determine whether PPD is a reliable method to quantify urinary incontinence in nursing home residents. Furthermore, the association between urinary tract infections (UTIs), PPD and fluid intake was studied. METHODS: data were retrieved from a multicentre, prospective surveillance among nursing home residents. Data on the use of absorbent pads, fluid intake and incontinence volumes were collected during 48 h. During a 1-year follow-up period, data on UTIs were collected. RESULTS: in this study, 153 residents were included, of whom 118 (77%) used absorbent pads. Residents who used absorbent pads were at increased risk of developing UTIs compared to residents who did not use pads (41 vs 11%; P = 0.001). Daily fluid intake was not associated with UTIs (P = 0.46). The number of pad changes showed no correlation with the risk of developing UTIs (P = 0.62). Patients with a given PPD presented a wide range of incontinence volumes. CONCLUSION: the use of absorbent pads is associated with an increased risk of developing UTIs. PPD and daily fluid intake are not correlated with the risk of developing UTIs. PPD is an unreliable measure of urinary incontinence in nursing home residents.

[Urinary incontinence]. / Urininkontinenz.

Incontinence is a common age-dependent and increasing problem in women that may mainly present as stress incontinence, overactive bladder, mixed incontinence or other forms. A thorough history, gynaecological and neurological examination and urinalysis as initial step will lead to the diagnosis and treatment. If midstream urine is difficult to receive, a catheter urine will be easy to obtain. Further investigations as urodynamics, cystoscopy and ultrasound may be required. As initial step, stress incontinence should be treated with physiotherapy and pelvic floor exercises, if not successful with operations as suburethral slings. Slings have good long-term success rates of approximately 85 % with a low morbidity and can even be inserted under local anaesthetic. The treatment of idiopathic overactive bladder consists of bladder training, a behavioural therapy, and mainly anticholinergics. Anticholinergics may cause side effects particularly in the elderly who are under several medications that may add anticholinergic effects as antidepressants, antibiotics or antihistaminics.

Urinary nerve growth factor is a better biomarker than detrusor wall thickness for the assessment of overactive bladder with incontinence.

PURPOSE: To compare the differences in urinary nerve growth factor (NGF) and detrusor wall thickness (DWT) between patients with overactive bladder (OAB) and controls to evaluate their suitability as biomarkers in OAB. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 81 patients including normal controls (n = 28), patients with OAB dry (n = 28) and OAB wet (n = 25) were enrolled in this study. Videourodynamic study was performed in 79 patients after confirmation of symptomatic classification by 3-day voiding diary. Urine NGF and DWT measurements were performed at full bladder and urge to void after natural-filling or catheter-filling during videourodynamic study. Urinary NGF level was measured by the ELISA method and DWT was measured by trans-abdominal ultrasound. These two parameters were compared among different symptomatic and urodynamic subgroups. RESULTS: DWT was not significantly different among subgroups at 250 ml bladder volume. Although patients with OAB wet had a significantly greater DWT at the maximal bladder volume, this difference was not significant from controls after correction of the volume factor. By contrast, urinary NGF levels were significantly increased in patients with OAB wet and those with urodynamic detrusor overactivity. However, elevated NGF levels in OAB wet were found only after natural-filling and not after catheter-filling. CONCLUSIONS: Urinary NGF level in natural-filling urine sample is a better biomarker for assessment of OAB wet compared to DWT. Patients with OAB dry or hypersensitive bladder did not have an elevated urinary NGF level. Urine samples from catheter-filling do not have a detectably high NGF levels.

Comparison of ambulatory versus conventional urodynamics in females with urinary incontinence.

AIMS: We planned to compare the diagnostic accuracy of conventional urodynamics (UD) and ambulatory UD for the detection of detrusor over activity (DOA) and/or urodynamic stress incontinence (USI) in women presenting with urinary incontinence. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 44 women with urinary incontinence and performed both urodynamic (UD) studies after they completed the UDI-6 questionnaire. During ambulatory UD one micturition cycle was recorded. According to responses for individual items on the UDI-6, patients were divided into three groups to define incontinence type irrespective of scoring. RESULTS: Mean age was 52.2 and mean duration of the symptoms was 4.94 years. The ambulatory UD detected an underlying pathophysiology of urinary incontinence (77.3%) in significantly more women than the conventional UD (6.8%) (P = 0.001). Among women with stress incontinence, 56% had USI on the ambulatory UD and none had abnormalities on the conventional UD (P = 0.002). Seventy-two percent of women with mixed symptoms had abnormal findings (USI and/or DOA) on the ambulatory UD and 9% had abnormal findings on the conventional UD (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that ambulatory UD done in a clinical setting during one micturition cycle with unstandardized provocative activities detects an underlying pathophysiology (urge incontinence, stress incontinence, mixed incontinence) more often than conventional UD in supine position Conventional UD has a higher false-negative rate in diagnosis of DOA and/or USI compared to ambulatory UD.