title: Desmopressin for bed wetting: length of treatment, vasopressin secretion, and response.
abstract: Fifty five children with nocturnal enuresis referred to a hospital enuresis clinic entered a controlled trial to compare the efficacy of one month and three month courses of intranasal desmopressin (Desmospray). There was no significant difference in outcome between the two groups. Overall 36% improved by at least two dry nights/week during treatment, but only five children (18%) in the one month group and three (11%) in the three month group became completely dry and only one in each group remained dry after treatment. To determine whether nocturnal polyuria was associated with a therapeutic response to desmopressin, the nocturnal urine volume, osmolality, and vasopressin concentration were measured in desmopressin responsive enuretics, desmopressin non-responders, and non-enuretic control children. There were no significant differences between the three groups. A three month course of desmopressin is no more effective than a one month course. Although many children will improve during treatment, only a small number become dry and most will relapse when treatment is stopped.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, St James's University Hospital, Leeds.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Meadow
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000652:urine; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003894:Deamino Arginine Vasopressin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004775:Enuresis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D012008:Recurrence; D013997:Time Factors; D014563:Urodynamics
chemical_list: D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D003894:Deamino Arginine Vasopressin