THE MODIFIED PAD TEST IN ASSESSMENT OF MINIMAL URINARY INCONTINENCE IN WOMEN

Background. Difficulties in the diagnosis of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) occur with minimal volumes of involuntarily lost urine. The aim was to develop a method for documenting diagnosis of minimal forms of SUI in women. Material and methods. We modified the well-known 1-hour Pad test by the intravenous injecting of a solution of indigo carmine and an iodine-containing contrast agent before the test. Results. The main advantage of the modification is the ability to visually confirm the fact of involuntary loss of minimal volumes of urine by detecting a spot of indigo carmine on the sanitary pad and a contrast stain on the x-ray film of the pad after the 1-hour Pad test. A colored spot on the pad and a contrasting shadow on the roentgenogram of the pad is a documentary confirmation of the involuntary loss of the contents of the bladder which is a sign of SUI. The procedure was used in 21 patients who were suspected to have minimal SUI. Minimal SUI was documented in 19 (90%) and excluded in 2 (10%) patients. Conclusions. The method allows confirming and documenting the minimum amount of involuntarily lost urine.