title: [Urodynamic fundamentals, flow curve and urethral echo-Doppler. (Calculation of the urination strength and spectral power].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We present the calculation of two parameters of practical interest for the urologists, which help to understand bladder phenomena. They are the real (total) power developed during micturition, and the spectral power of the flow curve, considered this as a finite time discrete signal.
  
  
  METHODS
  We use Doppler ultrasound to calculate the propelling power of the urine towards the exterior. The calculation of the spectral power is included among the auxiliary calculus methods employed for the calculation of the contractile power in those cases in which the flow curve has several humps; we could only calculate the real power in one of them because the Doppler only measured the speed in one curl.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We report one case with several curls in the flow curve, in which we could only test speed in one of the curls. The calculation of the spectral power allows us to compare curls and to calculate the total power just by addition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These two power measures are the expression of the same phenomenon, but they are different, showing one the micturition process from the flow curve and the other one from bladder contraction. We believe it is interesting to know them as a useful work tool. In the same way, the usefulness of Doppler ultrasound to obtain the values of urine speed through the urethra is demonstrated, a necessary data for the calculation of the bladder contractile power.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Urología, Complejo Hospitalario de Ciudad Real, España.
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Benítez Navío
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Caballero Gómez
authors.forename: Ildefonso
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Delgado Elipe
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D006801:Humans; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D012212:Rheology / Q000379:methods*; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D014521:Urethra / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014554:Urination / Q000502:physiology*; D014563:Urodynamics