Purpose: We assessed several emotional variables, including anxiety, pain, shame and morbidity, in patients who underwent a urodynamic study.
Materials and methods: A total of 208 patients of 20 to 81 years old (mean age 54.3) were included in the study. Of the patients 71 (34.1%) were male and 137 (65.9%) were female. Prior to and immediately after the procedure each patient completed a self-administered questionnaire. Answers were given on a visual analog scale. All patients received an antibiotic for 3 days after the investigation and urine was collected for culture 7 days after the investigation.
Results: Patient initial anxiety did not significantly depend on demographics. The mean degree of pain +/- SEM experienced by patients was higher in males than in females (3.1+/- 0.2 vs 2.4 +/- 0.2, p = 0.012). Pain scores correlated with pre-procedure anxiety scores but the relationship was weak ([pain] = 0.283[anxiety] + 1.766, r = 0.157, p = 0.024). On the other hand, female patients showed a significantly higher mean level of shame than males (3.6 +/- 0.3 vs 1.8 +/- 0.3, p <0.001). In general patients cooperated extremely well during the examination. By the stepwise method only bother was associated with tolerance ([tolerance] = 0.182[bother] + 2.753, r = 0.275, p <0.001). Seven patients (3.4%) had significant bacteriuria and received antibiotic treatment.
Conclusions: The study demonstrates that urodynamic studies are well tolerated by male and female patients in all age groups. However, emotional support depending on gender prior to the urodynamic procedure might enhance the level of patient cooperation.