Is there an alternative to pad tests? Correlation of subjective variables of severity of urinary loss to the 1-h pad test in women with stress urinary incontinence.

Abstract

To compare the 1-h pad test in women who have urodynamically confirmed stress incontinence (USI) with a patient-based 3-point symptom severity scale and validated quality of life (QoL) questionnaires. In all, 98 women with USI were prospectively recruited; all had a 1-h pad test and completed the validated disease-specific QoL questionnaires, including short forms of the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire (ICIQ-SF), Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6), and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ-7). In addition, the severity of incontinence was determined using the Stamey grading scale, a visual analogue scale (VAS) score, and a patient-based 3-point symptom severity scale. The VAS, symptom severity scale, Stamey grade, UDI-6, and IIQ-7 failed to correlate significantly with the 1-h pad test. Only the ICIQ-SF correlated significantly with this test. The ICIQ-SF is easy to administer and, in this study, correlated best with the 1-h pad test in women with pure primary or secondary USI. It incorporates both symptom severity and QoL variables. We recommend its routine use in clinical practice.