title: The role of urinary urgency and its measurement in the overactive bladder symptom syndrome: current concepts and future prospects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the concept of urinary urgency and its practical measurement in clinical trials, and advance the hypothesis that while urge is experienced by normal people, urgency is always pathological.
  
  
  METHODS
  According to the International Continence Society (ICS) definition, urgency is the primary symptom of the overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome, but in clinical trials there are inconsistencies in both the definition and assessment of urgency. We searched the PubMed and BIOSIS databases for publications and abstracts related to the clinical assessment of urgency in patients with OAB.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The differentiation of urgency from the normal physiological desire to void is discussed. In clinical studies of OAB, urgency has been measured both qualitatively and quantitatively. Existing qualitative assessment scales for urgency are deficient in accuracy, validation or both, and are largely inconsistent with the currently accepted ICS definition of urgency. The quantitative assessment of urgency by diary entry has been validated and may be the most accurate, reproducible and clinically meaningful method available for measuring this variable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the existing ICS definition of urgency as 'a compelling desire to pass urine that is difficult to defer', the concept of qualitative assessment of urgency may be flawed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, The Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2JF, UK. c.r.chapple@sheffield.ac.uk
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Chapple
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Artibani
authors.forename: Linda D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Cardozo
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Castro-Diaz
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Craggs
authors.forename: Francois
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Haab
authors.forename: Vik
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Khullar
authors.forename: Eboo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Versi
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003950:Diagnostic Techniques, Urological / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008499:Medical Records; D008954:Models, Biological; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D001745:Urinary Bladder Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016055:Urinary Retention / Q000175:diagnosis*