OBJECTIVE: To correlate male lower urinary tract symptoms between age, quality of life scores,parameters of uroflowmetry and prostate size. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two hundred eight males were included in this study. Uroflowmetry parameters,age, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), Quality of Life (QoL) scores and prostate sizewere gathered. For correlation, distribution of age, uroflowmetry parameters and prostate size werefirst compared to IPSS. Analysis of variance was used to compare age of patients, while Kruskall-wallis test was used to compare the QoL, uroflowmetry parameters, and prostate size on each IPSSgroups. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to correlate IPSS to age, quality of life,uroflowmetry parameters, and prostate size both for multivariate and univariate analysis. RESULTS: There was no significant correlation between age and IPSS. However, on profile distribution,the age distribution between symptom scores were statistically similar. Qol scores were directlyproportional to IPSS. Thus, patients with a worse QoL score were more likely to have higher IPSS.Qmax scores decreased as symptom severity increased. Patients with higher Qmax scores are lesslikely to have higher IPSS scores. Voided volume was observed to decrease as IPSS severity increased,but this was not statistically significant. Patients with higher post void residual scores were morelikely to have higher IPSS. There was also no significant correlation between prostate size and IPSS. CONCLUSION There were no significant correlation between IPSS and age, voided volume and prostatesize. On the other hand, patients with a worse QoL score and a high post void residual had higherIPSS. Patients with a high Qmax, are less likely to have an elevated IPSS.

INTRODUCTION: Insertion of foley catheter, a very common hospital procedure, is unwelcome to the patients, because of the catheter associated pain. Catheter pain is subdivided into pain experienced as the catheter is inserted (passed), while in situ, and on removal (reference I). Different techniques have been utilized to decrease pain on insertion ranging from local anaesthetic, anti septic gel and or generous lubricating jelly. Different studies have been made addressing the catheter. This maybe the first study which aims to decrease the pain with Foley catheter removal.

METHODS: All male patients who were catheterized at Veterans Memorial Medical Center from June to September 2008 were enrolled in the study. Patients with no history of prior catheterization were randomized into a control group and experimental. The control group were patients who would undergo the conventional foley catheter removal which is pulling out the catheter. The experimental groups were patients who would utilize the "Catheter Removal by Induced Microturition" technique of foley catheter removal. This was done by filling the bladder with saline/water through the patient's foley catether. When patient had the urge to void, filling was discontinued and one and void spontaneously.

RESULTS: A total of 181 male patients who underwent Urologic procedures were included in this study. Out of the 139 patients who had no previous history of catheterization, 67 patients were assigned into the control group and 72 patients into the experimental group. The experimental group had significantly lesser pain compared to the control group. The VAS of the control group was significantly higher than the intervention with mean of 3.36 and 0.31, respectively with p-values of 0.00. The other statistical tests used in this study were Wilcoxon- Matched- Pairs Signed Ranked test, and Mann-Whitney U-test.

CONCLUSION: Comparing the "control" and "experimental" group for patients with no history of catheterization show that the "Catheter Removal by Induced Micrturition" offers a significantly less painful experience compared to the group undergoing conventional pulling of the foley catheter. It is recommended that "Catheter Removal by Induced Microturition" technique be offered and applied to our patients in the aim of reducing their pain during catheter removal.