BACKGROUND: An immunochromatographic assay (ICT Diagnostics) which facilitates the diagnosis of tuberculosis(TB) by detecting serum antibodies mainly directed against specific 38KDa of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has come into the market. The test consists of a cardboard folding device containing nitrocellulose strip and absorbent pads. The whole procedure is completed within 15 min and does not require any additional equipment. The test has been reported to be sensitive and specific in diagnosing active TB. Thus the test had been evaluated with sera from TB patients and TB-free subjects. METHOD: Sera from patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis(40 sputum positives for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, 79 sputum negatives, and 3 extrapulmonary tuberculosis) were obtained from the Double-Cross Chest Clinic of the Korean National Tuberculosis Association (KNTA) in Seoul. The control group consisted of TB-free 68 subjects(21 children under 7 years old and 47 healthy staff members of KNTA). RESULTS: Nine out of 68(13.2%) TB-free controls had positive antibody response. Total 106 of 122(86.9%) radiologically active patients had positive antibodies while 16 (13.1%) showed negative reaction. Antibody was detected in 38 of 40(95.0%) sputum positive patients and 68 of 82(82.9%) sputum negative patients who were under the antituberculosis chemotherapy. The sensitivity and specificity were all 87% and the positive predictive value was 92.2% while the negative predictive value was 78.7%, when the prevalence of TB in the sample was 64.2%. It is clear from our results that the detection of antibodies which mainly react with the 38KDa antigen of M. tuberculosis should not be suitable as first-line method of diagnosis, but considered only as an adjunctive test to standard techniques of tuberculosis diagnosis, when considering its high false positivity.
Absorbent Pads ; Antibodies ; Antibody Formation ; Child ; Collodion ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Immunochromatography ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Prevalence ; Seoul ; Serologic Tests ; Sputum ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine whether or not the 1-hour pad test demonstrates the objective severity of female stress urinary incontinence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred eighteen female patients with stress urinary incontinence symptom were prospectively evaluated with a 1-hour pad test as recommended by the International Continent Society and they also underwent videourodynamics to determine the ALPP. The patients were divided into 2 groups by the ALPP: group A (n=94) was the low leak point pressure group (ALPP< or=100cmH2O), and group B (n=24) was the high leak point pressure group (ALPP>100cmH2O or no leakage). A pad gain < or=2g was considered a negative pad test. Student's t-test was done to evaluate the difference of urine leakage between the two groups. RESULTS: The mean amount of urine leakage measured by the 1-hour pad test for groups A and B were 53.4+/-47.2 and 50.9+/-53.9g, respectively, and there was no statistically significant differences between two groups (p=0.839). Eighteen (15.2%) women did not leak during the ALPP measurement and 6 (5.1%) women had a negative pad test. Among the 18 women with no leakage on the ALPP, 15 had a positive pad test and 3 had a negative pad test. Among the 6 women with a negative pad test, 3 had leakage and 3 had no leakage during the ALPP measurement. One hundred fifteen patients received an operation for stress urinary incontinence. The three patients who had no leak on the ALPP and who also had a negative pad test did not receive the operation. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that the 1-hour pad test did not demonstrate the objective severity of stress urinary incontinence. However, the 1-hour pad test was more sensitive to demonstrate leakage than the ALPP; therefore, in the case of no leakage during the ALPP measurement, the 1-hour pad test is needed to check the leakage.
Female ; Humans ; Incontinence Pads ; Prospective Studies ; Urinary Incontinence* ; Urinary Incontinence, Stress ; Urodynamics

PURPOSE: The 1-hour pad-weighing test was compared with the cystourethrogram as a method for the preoperative diagnostic assessment of female stress urinary incontinence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The records of 80 women, with stress urinary incontinence that had undergone anti-incontinence surgery, were reviewed. The 1-hour pad weighing test, proposed by the International Continence Society in 1988, was performed for the objective assessment of the degree of incontinence in all patients. History taking, physical examinations and cystourethrograms were also performed and the correlation between the 1-hour pad-weighing test and the results from the above procedures evaluated. RESULTS: The urinary leakage was examined in all patients during the 1-hour pad-weighing test, with an average urine loss of 50g (5-150). In 13 patients, no urinary leakage was demonstrated during straining on the cystourethrogram. Thus, compared with the 1-hour pad-weighing test, the cystourethrography was less sensitive in the diagnosis of incontinence, with a 16% false negative rate. The bladder neck position and degree of descent were measured on the cystourethrogram during resting and straining. The position of the bladder neck averaged 2.2 (0.5-6.0) and 4.2cm (1.0-8.0) from the upper margin of the symphysis pubis at rest, and during straining, respectively. The difference between these two parameters averaged 2.0cm (0.2-4.0). The number of type III stress urinary incontinence patients, based on the Blaivas classification, was 9. There were statistically significant correlations between the 1-hour pad-weighing test and the bladder neck positions during resting (r=0.296, p=0.008) and straining (r=0.356, p=0.001) on the cystourethrograms. There was a statistically significant difference between the 1-hour pad-weighing test and bladder neck opening during resting (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: It seems that the 1-hour pad-weighing test is an easy, inexpensive and non-invasive method for the preoperative diagnostic assessment of female stress urinary incontinence.
Classification ; Diagnosis ; Female* ; Humans ; Incontinence Pads ; Neck ; Physical Examination ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Incontinence* ; Urinary Incontinence, Stress

PURPOSE: The prevalence of urinary incontinence and the usage of incontinence pads by elderly residents in Korean medical welfare facilities were investigated. METHODS: From a total of 1,832 facilities, 33 medical welfare facilities in the capital area were randomly selected; all nursing homes were excluded. All data were collected by questionnaires to investigate the residents' age and sex, the presence or absence of urinary incontinence, incontinence pad usage per month, and management methods for urinary incontinence. Surveys were also conducted from January 2010 to August 2010. RESULTS: A total number of residents in medical welfare facilities were 2,783, and all of them were selected for this study. Approximately, 65.3% of residents (1,816 individuals) had incontinence. The mean usage was 75 incontinence pads per month. Only 15.6% of residents received proper management for urinary incontinence, while the remaining 84.4% of residents did not have any experience in evaluating or managing their urinary symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of urinary incontinence in medical welfare facilities in Korea was about 65.3%. However, the management of urinary incontinence was insufficient. Urologists should make further efforts for the proper management of urinary incontinence in elders in these facilities.
Aged ; Geriatrics ; Humans ; Incontinence Pads* ; Korea* ; Methods ; Nursing Homes ; Prevalence ; Urinary Incontinence

We presented a case of a 46-year-old man who attended the emergency department with right flank pain. Abdominal computed tomography showed dilated renal pelvis, ureter and distended bladder. Fluid collection was seen in retroperitoneal space and pelvic cavity. He had renal insufficiency. When a urethral catheter was inserted, 1,200 mL urine was drained. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia more than 20 years prior, and had been taking anti-psychotics. He had been living in a sanatorium. He had nocturnal enuresis and had worn an incontinence pad nightly for the last 10 years. His fluid consumption was 10 L/day. After placement of an indwelling urethral catheter for relieving voiding problems and restriction of fluid intake, fluid collection in retroperitoneal spaces and pelvic cavity was removed and renal insufficiency was recovered. After training of self-clean intermittent catheterization, he was discharged.
Catheterization ; Catheters ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Flank Pain ; Humans ; Incontinence Pads ; Kidney Pelvis ; Middle Aged ; Nocturnal Enuresis ; Polydipsia ; Polyuria ; Renal Insufficiency ; Retroperitoneal Space ; Schizophrenia* ; Ureter ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Catheters ; Urinary Retention*