Int Neurourol J.  2016 Mar;20(1):47-52. 10.5213/inj.1630382.191.

Assessment of Proportion of Hidden Patients Having Symptoms of Overactive Bladder and Why Has It Been Hidden in Female Outpatients Admitted to Hospital

• Üçer O
• Demir Ã
• Zeren MF
• Ceylan Y
• Çelen Ä
• ZümrütbaÅŸ AE
• TemeltaÅŸ
• Bozkurt O
• Günlüsoy B
• Çelik O
• Ekin G
• MertoÄŸlu
• Aegean Study Group of Society of Urological Surgery

• KMID: 2173127
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5213/inj.1630382.191

Abstract

PURPOSE
To determine the proportion of patients with undetected symptoms of overactive bladder by using the overactive bladder-validated 8 (OAB-V8) screening questionnaire and investigate these symptoms were undetected in female patients who were hospitalized.
METHODS
We invited 2,250 female patients hospitalized in the Aegean region of Turkey to answer a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire included questions on evidence of lower urinary tract symptoms (OAB-V8), relevant medical history, and demographic data. Patients with a total OAB-V8 score≥8 were defined as having OAB symptoms.
RESULTS
The proportion of patients with OAB symptoms in this study was 40.6%. Nearly 57% of the patients with OAB symptoms had not been previously admitted to any hospital for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). The two most common reasons why women with OAB symptoms did not admit themselves to a hospital because of LUTS were as follows: "I did not think I had a disease" and "The symptoms did not bother me," with a response rate of 74.7%. The mean OAB-V8 scores of the patients with these two responses were significantly lower than those of the other patients (P<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
This is the first study to demonstrate a significant proportion of women with undetected OAB symptoms. The main reasons the women did not admit themselves to a hospital were their unawareness of the disease and because the LUTS were not bothersome. Public awareness programs on this disease may resolve this problem.

Keyword

Symptoms; Urinary Bladder, Overactive; Diagnosis

MeSH Terms

Diagnosis
Female*
Humans
Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms
Mass Screening
Outpatients*
Turkey
Urinary Bladder, Overactive*