Pad Testing

Abstract

Pad testing is a method which allows for the quantification of urinary leakage and is useful for monitoring a therapeutic effect during a clinical trial. Pad testing may also be useful to document urinary incontinence when it is not discovered on clinical or urodynamic evaluation. Up to 10% of all patients undergoing a urodynamic evaluation may fail to leak urine during testing in the office despite complaints of urinary incontinence in their normal environment. Pad testing may help to document this urinary leakage either in the office or in the patient’s home setting. There are several pad tests that have been described in the medical literature ranging from short 20 min tests to 24 or 48 h home pad tests which attempt to reproduce the amount of urinary leakage occurring during the patient’s normal activities. Fig. 9.1 shows a time line representation of the ICS approved one hour pad test which is described in greater detail in Appendix B.