Should measurement of maximum urinary flow rate and residual urine volume be a part of a "minimal care" assessment programme in female incontinence?

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of routine measurements of urinary flow rate and residual urine volume as a part of a "minimal care" assessment programme for women with urinary incontinence in detecting clinical significant bladder emptying problems.

Material And Methods: Four hundred and eight women were examined and treated in an open-access, interdisciplinary incontinence clinic. A standardized programme for investigation and primarily non-surgical treatment of incontinence was applied.

Results: Of the 408 women 43% reported subjectively incomplete bladder emptying. Twenty-six per cent had a maximum flow rate less than 15 ml/s, but only 4% at a voided volume > or =200 ml. Residual urine more than 149 ml was found in 6%. Two women had chronic retention with overflow incontinence. Both had typical symptoms with continuous leakage, stranguria and chronic cystitis. Another woman had an urethral stricture with massive bladder emptying symptoms. In the remaining 172 women with symptoms suggesting bladder emptying problems, all but 3 were managed by triple voiding and timed micturition. In these 3 patients, who also had chronic cystitis, the treatment was supplemented with clean intermittent self-catheterization.

Conclusion: The few women (6 (1.5%)) in whom measurements of urinary flow rate and residual urine volume had a clinical therapeutic consequence, cannot justify these measurements to be routine in a "minimal care" programme for assessment of primary, uncomplicated female urinary incontinence. Thus, primary health care providers can assess women based on simple guidelines without expensive equipment for assessment of urine flow rate and residual urine.