Overactive bladder is a common condition, which significantly affects people's quality of life. The use of anticholinergic medication has been the mainstay of managing overactive bladder when conservative measures are not enough. Many patients stop anticholinergic medication because of the side effects and more recently the concerns about the effect of an anticholinergic burden and the development of dementia have been studied. Activation of β3 adrenoceptors has been shown to relax the detrusor muscle and subsequently lead to the development of the first β3 adrenoceptor agonist. Mirabegron is the first drug in this class to be approved for the use in overactive bladder. It has been extensively studied in phase II and III trials and has significant improvement in key overactive bladder parameters when compared with placebo. The incidence of side effects such as constipation, hypertension and tachycardia were comparable to anticholinergic medication but there was significantly less dry mouth incidence in the mirabegron groups. Mirabegron has been shown to be used safely in combination with solifenacin and tamsulosin. Head-to-head studies comparing efficacy and safety of mirabegron with anticholinergic medication would further help in the management strategy for overactive bladder.

Although invasive urodynamic testing did change clinical decision making, we found no evidence to demonstrate whether this led to reduced symptoms of voiding dysfunction after treatment. Larger definitive trials of better quality are needed, in which men are randomly allocated to management based on invasive urodynamic findings or to management based on findings obtained by other diagnostic means. This research will show whether performance of invasive urodynamics results in reduced symptoms of voiding dysfunction after treatment.

Introduction and aimsConcerns had been raised at clinical governance regarding the safety of our inpatient ward rounds with particular reference to: documentation of clinical observations and National Early Warning Score (NEWS), compliance with Trust guidance for venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessment, antibiotic stewardship, palliative care and treatment escalation plans (TEP). This quality improvement project was conceived to ensure these parameters were considered and documented during the ward round, thereby improving patient care and safety. These parameters were based on Trust patient safety guidance and CQUIN targets.MethodThe quality improvement technique of plan–do–study–act (PDSA) was used in this project. We retrospectively reviewed ward round entries to record baseline measurements, based on the above described parameters, prior to making any changes. Following this, the change applied was the introduction of a ward round template to include the highlighted important baseline parameters. Monthly PDSA cycles are performed, and baseline measurements are re-examined, then relevant changes were made to the ward round template.Summary of resultsDocumentation of baseline measurements was poor prior to introduction of the ward round template; this improved significantly following introduction of a standardised ward round template. Following three cycles, documentation of VTE risk assessments increased from 14% to 92%. Antibiotic stewardship documentation went from 0% to 100%. Use of the TEP form went from 29% to 78%.ConclusionsFollowing introduction of the ward round template, compliance improved significantly in all safety parameters. Important safety measures being discussed on ward rounds will lead to enhanced patient safety and will improve compliance to Trust guidance and comissioning for quality and innovation (CQUIN) targets. Ongoing change implementation will focus on improving compliance with usage of the template on all urology ward rounds.

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BackgroundLong-term nitrofurantoin (NF) treatment can result in pulmonary and hepatic injury. Current guidelines do not outline the type or frequency of monitoring required for detection of these injuries.AimsTo assess (1) awareness of NF complications among prescribers, (2) monitoring practice and (3) to describe the pulmonary sequelae of NF-related complications.Methods(1) Electronic questionnaire to prescribers, interrogating prescribing/monitoring practices and awareness of complications; (2) Case-note review (June-July 2020) of NF monitoring among general practitioners (GPs) in our local clinical commissioning group; (3) Case review of patients diagnosed with nitrofurantoin-induced interstitial lung disease (NFILD) at our interstitial lung disease (ILD) centre (2014-2020).Results125 prescribers of long-term NF responded to the questionnaire (82% GPs; 12% urologists). Many were unaware of the potential for liver (42%) and lung (28%) complications. 41% and 53% never monitored for these, respectively. Only 53% of urologists believed themselves responsible for arranging monitoring, whilst nearly all GPs believed this to be the prescriber’s responsibility (94%). One third of all respondents considered current British National Formulary (BNF) guidelines “not at all sufficient/clear”, with mean clarity scoring of 2.2/5. Amongst NFILD patients (n=46), NF had been prescribed most often (70%) for treatment of recurrent UTI and 59% (n=27) were prescribed for >6 months. Upon withdrawal of the medication 61% displayed resolution (completely/minimal fibrosis), whilst 16% of patients had progressive lung fibrosis.ConclusionNF can cause marked or irreversible lung complications and there is currently a shortfall in awareness and monitoring. Existing monitoring guidelines should be augmented.

The most common form of urinary incontinence in men is urgency incontinence secondary to an OAB, which often co-exists in men, with bladder outflow obstruction (BOO). The pharmacotherapy options to treat OAB include antimuscarinics, β3 agonists and phosphodiesterase inhibitors. Antimuscarinics and β3 agonists are effective in treating OAB, and have been found to have no increased urinary retention risk in the group of patients with co-existing BPO. Emerging medications include the alternative β3 agonists - solabegron and ritobegron. The future may include novel combinations of these therapies.

We support a continued move towards a patient-focused and management using the current guidelines.