The one-hour pad-weighing test: Reproducibility and the correlation between the test result,the start volume in the bladder,and the diuresis

To evaluate the reproducibility of the one-hour pad-weighing test as proposed by the ICS and to study the association between the test results, the initial volume in the bladder, and the diuresis, 18 females with stress or mixed incontinence underwent two separate tests. Bladder volumes were estimated by transabdominal ultrasonic scanning. A significant intra-individual variation in the test results was found. In about 50% of the patients the classification of the degree of leakage changed from one test to the other. This variation could be explained by variation in the fluid load on the bladder during the test, ie, the initial volume and the diuresis. For scientific purposes the one-hour pad-weighing test in its present design is not precise enough to allow reliable quantitation of urinary incontinence.