Frequency volume chart helps assess voiding patterns in women with OAB

The frequency volume chart (FVC), coupled with bladder perception, is useful to assess voiding patterns, which may include convenience voids and urgency, particularly in women who have overactive bladder, according to research presented here yesterday.

"Convenience void is a new term in the literature," said Hisashi Honjo, MD, a urologist at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine in Japan. "We wanted to look at its impact on frequency volume chart."

FVC assesses lower urinary tract symptoms. Bladder sensation can be evaluated by scoring the grade of perception of fullness on FVCs.

The study looked at 310 women (mean age, 58 years) in a community setting in Japan. They were asked to complete a 3-day FVC with grade of bladder perception ranging from 0 to 5, with 0 indicating no bladder sensation and 5 denoting an urge incontinence episode with urgent desire to void. The majority of women (66.7%) had grade perception of either 2 or 3, ie, desire to void and strong desire to void, respectively.

Researchers obtained bladder perception grade on the third day of analysis. A total of 5,709 voids were completed. Voided volume was significantly increased according to bladder fullness assessed by different grades of perception. A total of 7.1% of the voids were graded as 0 (no desire to void), established as a convenience void. A total of 12% of the voids were graded with urge desire to void.

"The incidence of convenience void and voided volume distribution may be another indicator for severity of overactive bladder," Dr. Honjo said.