TY - JOUR
T1 - Normal Bladder Sensations in Healthy Volunteers: A Focus Group Investigation
AU - Heeringa, Rhea
AU - de Wachter, Stefan G. G.
AU - Van Kerrebroeck, Philip E. V. A.
AU - van Koeveringe, Gommert A.
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - Aims: To describe the bladder sensations experienced during non-invasive rapid bladder filling in a controlled setting in healthy volunteers. Methods: Three groups of healthy volunteers, total 11 subjects(4 men, 7 women), participated in three consecutive focus group sessions. Before each session a strict water loading protocol was given. The first two sessions focused on how participants described and experienced bladder sensations in daily life and during a physiological bladder filling with constant focus on their bladder. The third session focused on verifying the interpretation of the data gathered so far and describing the pattern of sensations. Results: During the focus group sessions with constant focus on their bladder, all participants experienced their bladder sensation as a continuous progression. Healthy subjects describe their bladder sensation(s) as a "pressure" and a "tingling" sensation, but a terminology ranging from no sensations to an absolute need to void is used by all participants and better describes the pattern in which the need to void develops in healthy volunteers. Conclusions: By means of focus group research it is possible to describe the development of normal bladder sensation and to refine terminology used by healthy participants. The findings show that two types of bladder sensations are reported spontaneously by healthy uninitiated volunteers, pressure and a tingling sensation, of which the first develops in a continuous manner. The pattern in which the absolute need develops is described by the terms: no sensation, weak awareness, stronger awareness, weak need, stronger need and absolute need to void. Neurourol. Urodynam. 30:1350-1355, 2011.
AB - Aims: To describe the bladder sensations experienced during non-invasive rapid bladder filling in a controlled setting in healthy volunteers. Methods: Three groups of healthy volunteers, total 11 subjects(4 men, 7 women), participated in three consecutive focus group sessions. Before each session a strict water loading protocol was given. The first two sessions focused on how participants described and experienced bladder sensations in daily life and during a physiological bladder filling with constant focus on their bladder. The third session focused on verifying the interpretation of the data gathered so far and describing the pattern of sensations. Results: During the focus group sessions with constant focus on their bladder, all participants experienced their bladder sensation as a continuous progression. Healthy subjects describe their bladder sensation(s) as a "pressure" and a "tingling" sensation, but a terminology ranging from no sensations to an absolute need to void is used by all participants and better describes the pattern in which the need to void develops in healthy volunteers. Conclusions: By means of focus group research it is possible to describe the development of normal bladder sensation and to refine terminology used by healthy participants. The findings show that two types of bladder sensations are reported spontaneously by healthy uninitiated volunteers, pressure and a tingling sensation, of which the first develops in a continuous manner. The pattern in which the absolute need develops is described by the terms: no sensation, weak awareness, stronger awareness, weak need, stronger need and absolute need to void. Neurourol. Urodynam. 30:1350-1355, 2011.
KW - focus groups
KW - sensations
KW - terminology
KW - urinary bladder
U2 - 10.1002/nau.21052
DO - 10.1002/nau.21052
M3 - Article
C2 - 21608021
SN - 0733-2467
VL - 30
SP - 1350
EP - 1355
JO - Neurourology and Urodynamics
JF - Neurourology and Urodynamics
IS - 7
ER -