The Overactive Bladder Symptom Score, International Prostate Symptom Score–Storage Subscore, and Urgency Severity Score in Patients With Overactive Bladder and Hypersensitive Bladder: Which Scoring System is Best?

Abstract

Purpose To evaluate the correlations among the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS), International Prostate Symptom Score–Storage Subscore (IPSS-S), and the modified Urgency Severity Scale (USS) in patients with overactive bladder (OAB) and hypersensitive bladder (HSB) and to identify the most useful diagnostic tool for classifying the severity of OAB. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the charts of consecutive patients with OAB who visited our urologic clinics for treatment. All patients underwent a detailed history, physical examination, urinalysis, uroflowmetry, and postvoid residual volume measurement, and completed a 3-day voiding diary. All patients answered the Chinese versions of the IPSS, OABSS, and USS, according to which they were classified as having wet or dry OAB based on whether their chief complaint was urgency urinary incontinence or urgency without incontinence. HSB was defined as a functional bladder capacity OABSS>IPSS-S. The simplest survey, the USS, with a single item scored from 0 to 4, had the strongest correlation with the OAB severity subgroups.

Keywords

• Symptom score
• Urgency
• Overactive bladder
• Hypersensitive bladder