Acute urinary retention: what is the impact on patients’ quality of life?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of admission for acute urinary retention (AUR) on patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) compared with that on admission for elective surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and emergency admission for renal colic (RC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Over a 2-year period, three groups of men were recruited from one institution: group 1, men aged >50 years presenting to the accident and emergency (A&E) department with AUR; group 2, for comparison, men aged >50 years admitted for elective surgery for BPH; and group 3, men aged >40 years presenting to A&E with RC. A self-completed HRQoL questionnaire was administered at five visits (72 h from admission, and 1, 2, 3 and 6 months afterward) over a 6-month follow-up. RESULTS: Group 1 reported mean pain scores on admission of 7.7, compared with 5.6 for group 2 and 8.3 for group 3. Patients in group 1 had the most investigations and recurrent attendance to A&E throughout the study, compared with almost none for the other two groups. There was a substantial economic burden for group 1; 15% had extra help at home at a mean cost of 403 UK pounds for the duration of the study. For the other domains assessed (e.g. emotions, mental state, general health) groups 1 and 2 were similar. CONCLUSIONS: An episode of AUR has a measurable impact on patients' HRQoL, which often occurs in the community and therefore may not be appreciated by the urology team providing their care. Further work is therefore required to improve the "patient journey" for those with AUR, and to prevent patients developing AUR in the future.     

Does condition‐specific quality of life correlate with generic health‐related quality of life and objective incontinence severity in women with stress urinary incontinence?

AIMS: We examined the impact of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) on health-related quality of life (QOL) and evaluated the relationships between incontinence-specific QOL and objective disease severity. METHODS: A total of 158 women (mean age 49.9) suffering from SUI were included in the study. The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36) and the King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ) were used to assess QOL in the patient and control groups. RESULTS: The SF-36 scores did not show any significant differences between the two groups except for one domain (physical functioning, P = 0.005). The patient KHQ scores were significantly lower than those of the controls (P < 0.001 for all domains). The scores of the KHQ domains correlated with those of the SF-36 domains, but the relationship was low to moderate, ranging from -0.033 to -0.686. However, they did not correlate with Valsalva leak point pressure (VLPP). When patients were divided into the low VLPP group (n = 60) and the higher VLPP group (n = 98), statistically significant differences were found between the groups for general health domains of the SF-36 (P = 0.010) and of the KHQ (P = 0.027). No statistically significant differences were found in other domains of both questionnaires. CONCLUSIONS: The generic QOL instrument is not a sensitive tool for measuring QOL in women with SUI. In addition, our findings suggest that objective disease severity is not associated with generic or incontinence-specific QOL.     

Does ICU length of stay influence quality of life?

BACKGROUND: Patients with prolonged stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) use a disproportionate share of resources. However, it is not known if such treatment results in impaired quality of life (QOL) as compared to patients with a short length of stay (LOS) when taking into account the initial severity of illness. METHODS: Prospective, observational case-control study in a university hospital surgical and trauma adult ICU. All patients admitted to the ICU during a 1-year period were included. Patients with a cumulative LOS in the ICU > 7 days, surviving up to 1 year after ICU admission and consenting were identified (group L, n = 75) and matched to individuals with a shorter stay (group S). Matching criteria were diagnostic group and severity of illness. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) was assessed 1 year after admission using the short-form 36 (SF-36) and was compared between groups and to the general population. Further, overall QOL was estimated using a visual analogue scale (VAS) and willingness to consent to future intensive care, and was compared between groups L and S. RESULTS: Based on ANCOVA, a significant difference between groups L and S was noted for two out of eight scales: role physical (P = 0.033) and vitality (P = 0.041). No differences were found for the physical component summary (P = 0.065), the mental component summary (P = 0.267) or the VAS (P = 0.316). Further, there was no difference in expectation to consent to future intensive care (P = 0.149). As compared to the general population, we found similar scores for the mental component summary and for three of eight scales in group L and five of eight scales in group S. CONCLUSIONS: When taking into account severity of illness, HRQOL 1 year after intensive care is comparable between patients with a short and a long LOS in the ICU. Thus, prolonged stay in the ICU per se must not be taken as an indicator of future poorer HRQOL. However, as compared to the general population, significant differences, mostly in physical aspects of QOL, were found for both groups of patients.     

Does hypertension impact on the mortality of hemodialysis patients?

Hypertension is very common in standard haemodialysis patients in spite of a wide use of antihypertensive medications. Up to the last decade it was reported in dialysis nts, as in the general population, as a powerful mortality risk factor. More recently several reports have challenged this view, and hypotension rather than hypertension has been claimed as the real culprit. That a risk factor has an opposite effect on mortality in conditions such as dialysis than in the general population has been termed - reverse epidemiology ,,, and suggests that our therapeutic approach toward blood pressure control in dialysis should be reconsidered. In fact, this counter intuitive concept is explained by the effect of time. Hypertension is a long-term mortality risk factor, that in a population crippled by short-acting risk factors (e.g. diabetes, congestive heart failure, malnutrition...) has not the opportunity to express itself. The clear cut noxious effect of hypertension on mortality in the years when dialysis patients were young and fit has disappeared in the present aged and highly co-morbid population. This does not mean that hypertension becomes beneficial once dialysis has been started. Hypotension is a marker of a high risk of early mortality, hypertension is a cause of late mortality. There is no evidence that hypertension might be protective in dialysis patients. Avoiding hypertension remains a capital goal of maintenance dialysis.     

Does choroid plexus tumour differ with age?

Choroid plexus neoplasms are rare intracranial neoplasms. Significant differences exist in their presentation and management in paediatric and adult populations. The present study aims to study the differences among the paediatric and adult population, various factors affecting the outcome, and the clinical and histological correlation. This is a retrospective study of 47 patients with choroid plexus neoplasms managed at NIMHANS from 1984 to 2004. The case records and images were retrieved and reviewed. The various histopathological features were outlined and histopathology reviewed accordingly. For follow-up, patients were contacted by letter or telephone and the necessary information obtained. Follow-up was available in 41 out of 47 patients. Sixty per cent patients were in the paediatric age group and 40% were adults. Forty-three per cent of children with tumours were less than 1 year of age. The lateral ventricle was the most common site of involvement in the paediatric group compared with the fourth ventricle in adults. Calcification is seen on CT scan more often in papillomas and in adult tumours. Invasion of surrounding parenchyma may be seen in both papillomas and carcinomas. However, in papillomas it is by nests of tumour cells compared with carcinomas wherein invasion is by individual tumour cells. Hydrocephalus is present irrespective of location and size of the tumour. Gross total excision is more feasible in adults. Large tumour size, excessive blood loss, higher incidence of carcinomas result in partial excision of these tumours in the paediatric group. Subdural collections and tumour bed haematomas are more common complications in the paediatric group after resection of tumour. These tumours have significant differences among paediatric and adult groups. Carcinomas are predominantly seen in younger children. Invasion of brain parenchyma by nests of cells does not carry a poor prognosis. The outcomes are better in adults.     

First vaginal delivery at an older age: Does it carry an extra risk for the development of stress urinary incontinence?

AIMS: First delivery at an older age is not an uncommon event in modern obstetric practice. The present study was undertaken to compare the prevalence of postpartum stress urinary incontinence (SUI) according to maternal age and mode of delivery. METHODS: Fifty two consecutive elderly primiparae (mean age 40.0 +/- 1.8) who underwent spontaneous vaginal delivery, 42 consecutive elderly primiparae (mean age 40.7 +/- 3.6) who underwent elective cesarean section, and 92 consecutive young primiparae (mean age 26.2 +/- 2.5) who underwent spontaneous vaginal delivery were interviewed 1-2 years postpartum about the symptom of SUI. Women who had SUI before pregnancy were not enrolled. Obstetric data were collected from computerized hospital records. RESULTS: The prevalence of SUI 1-2 years after spontaneous vaginal delivery was significantly higher in elderly compared with younger primiparae (38.5% vs. 9.8%, respectively). Elderly primiparae who underwent elective cesarean section had a significantly lower prevalence of postpartum SUI than those delivered vaginally (16.7% vs. 38.5%, respectively). Further comparison of stress-incontinent versus continent elderly primiparae failed to reveal significant demographic or obstetric differences, except for increased prevalence of SUI during pregnancy among incontinent patients (45% vs. 19%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: First vaginal delivery at an older age carries an increased risk for postpartum SUI. Stress-incontinent women also had higher prevalence of SUI during pregnancy. This finding implies that the pathophysiologic process of SUI begins during pregnancy, prior to active labor and delivery. Nonetheless, elective cesarean section in these women has a protective effect and lowers the risk of developing postpartum SUI.     

Does body mass index influence the outcome of midurethral sling procedures for stress urinary incontinence?

Introduction and hypothesis

Whether midurethral sling (MUS) procedures are as effective in obese women as they are in women of normal weight is still a matter of controversy. The objective of this study was to determine if body mass index (BMI) influences the outcome of MUS procedures for stress urinary incontinence (SUI).

Methods

We searched electronic databases including EMBASE, MEDLINE, Web of Science and Ovid evidence-based medicine reviews to identify studies that explored the association between BMI and outcomes of MUS procedures. The studies were rated using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale; the meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3 software.

Results

This review included 11 studies, 6 prospective cohort studies and 5 retrospective studies, with a total of 2,846 patients. The objective success rates of MUS in patients with BMI >25 kg/m² (overweight and obese) were lower than in patients with BMI 18.5 – <25 kg/m² (normal weight; RR?=?0.93, 95 % CI 0.89 – 0.97; P?=?0.002). The objective success rates were not significantly different between the overweight group (BMI 25 – <30 kg/m²) and the obese group (BMI ≥30 kg/m²; RR?=?0.95, 95 % CI 0.89 – 1.01; P?=?0.08). There were no significant differences in subjective outcomes among the different BMI groups: BMI ≥25 kg/m² versus 18.5 – <25 kg/m² (RR?=?1.03, 95 % CI 0.97 – 1.10; P?=?0.29), and BMI ≥30 kg/m² versus 25 – <30 kg/m² (RR?=?0.98, 95 % CI 0.92 – 1.04; P?=?0.55).

Conclusions

The objective success rates of MUS were lower in overweight and obese patients; however, the subjective outcomes of MUS were not significantly different among normal weight, overweight and obese patients. The MUS procedure is as effective in obese women as in women of normal weight, and therefore surgeons should not consider BMI >25 kg/m² as a risk factor when discussing the suitability of the MUS procedure in a patient with SUI.

     

Does surgical repair of pelvic prolapse improve patients' quality of life?

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to evaluate the efficacy of surgical repair in patients with pelvic prolapse, and to assess the postoperative quality of life (QOL). METHODS: A total of 70 patients (mean age: 66.7 years) underwent transvaginal two-corner bladder neck suspension in combination with transvaginal hysterectomy (63 cases), and anterior with (49) or without (21) posterior colporrhaphy. The status of recurrence and complications were followed in all patients at a mean follow-up period of 32.0 months. Postoperative patients' quality of life (QOL) consisting of four items (sensation of vaginal bulging, urinary incontinence, difficulty to urinate, and health-related QOL) was assessed in 52 cases whose were followed at least two years (mean: 41.6 months, range: 24.3-69.1). RESULTS: Sixty-eight patients (97%) were recurrence-free. Nine of the 39 (23%) patients with difficulty to urinate before surgery had persistent symptoms postoperatively. Multivariate analysis revealed that cystometric abnormalities, voiding symptoms at seventh days after surgery, and weak detrusor contraction were independent prognostic factors for persistent voiding symptoms. As for the QOL, all items had significant improvement at 13 months after surgery as compared to baseline condition. A longitudinal study showed improvement of these symptoms sustained at least up to four years. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that surgical repair can achieve results with long-term durability as well as improving the QOL. In addition, assessment of the detrusor function may be needed for patients who complain difficulty to urinate in avoiding persistent such symptoms.     

The impact of therapy on quality of life and mood in neuropathic pain: what is the effect of pain reduction?

Mood and quality of life (QOL) outcomes vary widely in neuropathic pain trials. This may be a result of variable analgesia and other treatment effects. We evaluated the relationship between pain reduction and mood/QOL in neuropathic pain. Pain, side effects, QOL, and mood from a trial of morphine, gabapentin, and a morphine-gabapentin combination were examined. Baseline QOL was impaired according to Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) scores. Baseline mood, according to Profile of Mood States scores, was comparable to that of a nondepressed population. Pain reduction with all three active trial treatments correlated with improved QOL. Pain reduction with morphine and with gabapentin correlated with improved mood. Pain reduction with a morphine-gabapentin combination correlated with improvement in only one of several domains of the Profile of Mood States. Severity of sedation, constipation, and dry mouth during any treatment did not correlate with mood/QOL changes. These results can be interpreted to imply that larger analgesic treatment effect sizes lead to more substantial improvements in QOL and/or mood. However, other beneficial or adverse treatment-related side effects may also affect mood/QOL. Therefore, future studies are needed to also evaluate the impact of treatment-related side effects on mood/QOL in analgesic trials.     

Does technique alter quality of life after pilonidal sinus surgery?

BACKGROUND: Pilonidal sinus is a common disease in young adults that carries high postoperative morbidity and patient discomfort. Controversy still exists about the best surgical technique for the treatment of the disease in terms of recurrence rate and patient discomfort. METHODS: From January 2000 to November 2003, 100 consecutive age- and sex-matched patients with chronic pilonidal sinus disease were randomized to receive surgical treatment in the forms of either excision and primary closure or rhomboid excision and Limberg flap. Time to return to work and to complete healing were recorded. To evaluate quality of life and patient comfort, all patients were asked to complete a questionnaire including short form 36, Visual Analogue Scale, time to sitting on toilet without pain, and time to walking without pain 3 months after surgery. RESULTS: Each group was composed of 50 patients. Mean follow-up was 19 months. There was a significant difference between the groups in terms of length of hospital stay (P=.005), time to complete healing (P<.001), time off work (P<.001), and wound infection rate (P=.03). Statistically significant differences were noted between the groups in items of general health perception (71.1+/-11.7 vs 78.2+/-14.1; P=.008), social functioning (87.3+/-32.8 vs 110.4+/-33.8; P=.001), and pain (54.5+/-14.0 vs 67.5+/-18.4; P<.001). Times to sitting on toilet and walking without pain showed significant differences between the groups (P=.006 and P<.001, respectively). The mean postoperative Visual Analogue Scale scores were 6.5+or= 1.7 and 7.4+/- 1.4, respectively (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Shorter hospital stay, earlier healing, shorter time off work, lower ratio of complications, lower pain perception, and improved general health perception are the main advantages of te Limberg flap technique in pilonidal sinus surgery. All together, these parameters add to patient comfort and satisfaction after surgical treatment.     

Predicting the development of stress urinary incontinence 3?years after hysterectomy

Introduction and hypothesis  

We aimed to develop a prediction rule to predict the individual risk to develop stress urinary incontinence (SUI) after hysterectomy.