Women who experience detrusor overactive at lower bladder volumes report greater bother

Aims: To explore the relationship of cystometric volume at the time of first detection of detrusor overactive incontinence (DOI) to condition-specific quality of life (QOL). Methods: We reviewed consecutive charts of women diagnosed with pure DOI during urodynamic testing. DOI volume was defined as the cystometric volume at the first detection of DOI. Responses to the Urine Distress Inventory (UDI6) and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ7) were recorded. Spearman correlations were used to compare independent groups with respect to continuous variables. Results: Eighty-nine women were included in this analysis. DOI volume was inversely correlated with UDI6 and IIQ7 scores (Spearman's ρ = -0.514, P < 0.001 and Spearman's ρ = -0.611, P < 0.001). Maximal cystometric capacity was also inversely correlated with UDI6 and IIQ7 scores (ρ = -0.458, P < 0.0001 and Spearman's ρ = -0.43, P < 0.0001). Conclusions: Women who experience DOI at lower volumes during urodynamics report greater bother and QOL impact from incontinence than women who leak at higher volumes.