Urgency-free time interval as primary endpoint for evaluating the outcome of a randomized OAB treatment.
OBJECTIVE
This study was conducted to determine whether urgency-free interval (UFI) was effective to evaluate the outcome of overactive bladder (OAB) and the correlation of changes between this parameter and urgency episodes.


METHODS
A randomized placebo-controlled trial was conducted involving 73 women with OAB. The interventions for a 12-week period included a vaginal electric stimulation and oxybutynin (2.5 mg) or placebo three times per day. Identical preintervention and postintervention assessments included the measurement of UFI and warning time (WT). The King's Health Questionnaire, Spearman's correlation coefficient (SCC), Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U, and Wilcoxon-signed rank tests were used for analysis.


RESULTS
A positive and significant correlation between the improvements of WT and UFI was noted in the oxybutynin group (p = 0.009). In all groups, none of the SCC revealed significant correlation between the improvement of UFI and urgency episodes (all p >or= 0.145).


CONCLUSIONS
The efficacy of UFI in evaluating treatment outcome of OAB was comparable with that of WT in selected modality.
Wang
Alex C
AC
Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linko, Taiwan. alexwang@cgmh.org.tw
Chen
Min-Chi
MC
Kuo
Wen-Yu
WY
Lin
Yi-Hao
YH
Wang
Ying-Chi
YC
Lo
Tsia-Shu
TS
D000328:Adult; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D023381:Endpoint Determination; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008333:Mandelic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011379:Prognosis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D053201:Urinary Bladder, Overactive / Q000628:therapy*; D053202:Urinary Incontinence, Urge / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*
D008333:Mandelic Acids; D010276:Parasympatholytics; C005419:oxybutynin