Comparison of 20-minute pad test versus 1-hour pad test in women with stress urinary incontinence

ObjectivesTo compare the sensitivity of the 20-minute pad test with that of the 1-hour pad test in women with stress urinary incontinence.MethodsFrom January to March 2005, 100 women with stress urinary incontinence who underwent a urodynamic study were enrolled. Each patient underwent a 1-hour pad test before the urodynamic study. The infusion of 250 mL water into the bladder in the 20-minute pad test was performed after the urodynamic study. The results of the two tests in each patient were analyzed and compared using Pearson’s chi-square or the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.ResultsThe mean age of the 100 women was 53.3 ± 12.1 years, with a mean parity of 2.9 ± 1.5. In the 100 patients, the 20-minute pad test had better sensitivity than the 1-hour pad test (46% versus 34%, P <0.001). In the quantitative study, the two pad tests had fair agreement, and the pad weight results for the 1-hour pad test had significantly larger amounts than those for the 20-minute pad test (P = 0.002).ConclusionsThe 20-minute pad test had better sensitivity than the 1-hour pad test in women with stress urinary incontinence.