Symptoms of voiding dysfunction: what do they really mean?

Many women presenting with pelvic floor dysfunction will complain of voiding symptoms. This study examines the relationship between such symptoms and uroflowmetry parameters in 414 women with complaints of pelvic floor dysfunction who underwent free uroflowmetry with a weight transducer type flowmeter. Symptoms of voiding dysfunction were ascertained by interview, with symptoms rated positive if they occurred more than occasionally. Symptoms were correlated with maximum urine flow rate and maximum urine flow rate centiles: 356 women voided between 50 and 600 ml; these datasets were used for analysis. Average age was 57.4 years (range: 17-86). Symptoms of voiding dysfunction were common (62%): 26% of women described hesitancy, 28% a poor stream, 26% stop- start voiding, 15% straining to void, and 35% incomplete emptying/need to revoid. As a group, symptoms of voiding dysfunction were associated with reduced maximum urine flow rate centiles (28.1 vs 36.3, p= 0.011). The strength of the association varied markedly, with only hesitancy (p=0.002), poor stream (p<0.001), and stop-start voiding (p=0.014) reaching significance. Hesitancy, poor stream, and stop-start voiding were the only symptoms predictive of voiding impairment. Straining to void and the sensation of incomplete emptying or the need to revoid were not associated with a significant reduction in maximum flow rate centiles.