Randomized trial of a comparison of rehabilitation or drug therapy for urgency urinary incontinence: 1-year follow-up (original) (raw)

2012, International Urogynecology Journal

Introduction and hypothesis Our goal was to compare the long-term efficacy of bladder training (BT), pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT), combined pelvic floor rehabilitation (CPFR), and drug therapy (DT) in patients with urgency urinary incontinence (UUI). Methods This multicenter single-blind randomized controlled trial compared the efficacy of BT, PFMT, DT, and CPFR at baseline and 3-and 12-month follow-ups. Outcome measures included number of voids/24 h, number of UUI episodes, Quality of Life related to UUI (QOL-rUI), urogynecologic visual analog scale, and self-reported function and disability. Results A significant improvement was found for all treatment groups at 3 and 12 months in urinary frequency, UUI episodes, QOL-rUI, and number of daily pads. Only CPFR showed a significant decrease of 4 voids/24 h and a significant increase in self-reported function. Conclusions The study demonstrated long-term benefits of DT, BT, PFMT, and CPFR in the treatment of UUI with a slight advantage for CPFR. Keywords Bladder training . Drug therapy . Long-term efficacy . Pelvic floor rehabilitation . Pelvic floor muscle training . Urgency urinary incontinence Abbreviations DT Drug therapy BT Bladder training CPFR Combined pelvic floor rehabilitation LLFDI Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument PFMT Pelvic floor muscle training QOL-rUI Quality of Life related to UUI SUI Stress urinary incontinence UI Urinary incontinence UUI Urgency urinary incontinence