Strenuous physical activity has been linked to pelvic floor disorders in women. Using a novel wireless intra-vaginal pressure transducer, intra-abdominal pressure was measured during diverse activities in a laboratory. Fifty-seven women performed a prescribed protocol using the intra-vaginal pressure transducer. We calculated maximal, area under the curve and first moment of the area intra-abdominal pressure for each activity. Planned comparisons of pressure were made between levels of walking and cycling and between activities with reported high pressure in the literature. Findings indicate variability in intra-abdominal pressure amongst individuals doing the same activity, especially in activities that required regulation of effort. There were statistically significant differences in maximal pressure between levels of walking, cycling and high pressure activities. Results for area under the curve and first moment of the area were not always consistent with maximal pressure. Coughing had the highest maximal pressure, but had lower area under the curve and first moment of the area compared to most activities. Our data reflect novel findings of maximal, area under the curve and first moment of the area measures of intra-abdominal pressure, which may have clinical relevance for how physical activity relates to pelvic floor dysfunction.

Pelvic floor disorders (PFD) affect one of every four women in the United States. Elevated intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) during daily activity or strenuous physical activity has been identified as a risk factor in the prevalence of PFD. However, the relationship between IAP and physical activity is poorly understood and oftentimes activity restrictions are prescribed by physicians without clinical evidence linking various activities to elevated IAP. There are currently no pressure transducers capable of monitoring IAP non-invasively out of a clinical environment. To overcome this shortcoming, a novel intra-vaginal pressure transducer (IVT) was developed to continuously monitor IAP. Improvements were made to the first generation IVT by incorporating wireless capability to enhance the device’s mobility while creating a more robust IAP monitoring system. To ensure the changes maintained the functionality of the original device design, comparison testing with standard clinical pressure transducers in both bench top and clinical settings was conducted. The wireless device was found to have high linearity, robust signal transmission, and dynamic response that outperforms the clinical standard rectal transducer and is similar to the original first generation non-wireless design. The wireless IVT presented here is a mobile wireless device capable of measuring, storing and transmitting IAP data during various physical activities.

Objective To describe the development, feasibility and validity of a wireless intra-vaginal pressure transducer (IVT) which can be used to measure intra-abdominal pressure in real-world settings. Study Design A feasibility study was conducted in sixteen physically active women to determine retention and comfort of various IVT prototype designs during activity. A criterion validity study was conducted among women undergoing urodynamic testing to determine the accuracy of the IVT prototypes when compared to accepted clinical standards. Results A final prototype wireless IVT was developed after four design revisions of the second generation model. The feasibility study found that women reported the final prototype comfortable to wear and easily retained during physical activity. Intra-abdominal pressure measurements from the final prototype IVT compared favorably to standard urodynamic transducers, thus confirming evidence of its utility. Conclusion We have successfully advanced the design of a wireless, intra-vaginal pressure transducer which provides accurate measures of intra-abdominal pressure. The final wireless IVT is better tolerated by patients and overcomes limitations of traditional urodynamic testing while laying the foundations for intra-abdominal pressure monitoring outside of the clinic environment.

Aims In the urodynamics laboratory setting, a wireless pressure transducer, developed to facilitate research exploring intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and pelvic floor disorders, was highly accurate. We aimed to study reproducibility of IAP measured using this transducer in women during activities performed in an exercise science laboratory. Methods Fifty seven women (mean ± SD: age 30.4 ±9.3 years; body mass index=22.4 ± 2.68 kg/m2) completed two standardized activity sessions using the same transducer at least three days apart. Pressure data for 31 activities were transmitted wirelessly to a base station and analyzed for mean net maximal IAP, area under the curve (AUC) and first moment of the area (FMA.) Activities included typical exercises, lifting 13.6 to 18.2 kg, and simulated household tasks. Analysis for test-retest reliability included Bland-Altman plots with absolute limits of agreement (ALOA), Wilcoxon signed rank tests to assess significant differences between sessions, intraclass correlations, and kappa statistics to assess inter-session agreement in highest vs. other quintiles of maximal IAP. Results Few activities exhibited significant differences between sessions in maximal IAP, or in AUC and FMA values. For 13 activities, the agreement between repeat measures of maximal IAP was better than ± 10 cm H20; for 20 activities, better than ± 15 cm H20. ALOA increased with mean IAP. The highest quintile of IAP demonstrated fair/substantial agreement between sessions in 25 of 30 activities. Conclusion Reproducibility of IAP depends on the activity undertaken. Interventions geared towards lowering IAP should account for this, and maximize efforts to improve IAP reproducibility.

Aims To test the feasibility of monitoring intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) outside the laboratory environment and to compare IAP while 1) carrying 13.6 kg (similar to a 3-month old in car seat) in 6 different ways while walking 100 meters; and 2) walking 400 meters at self-selected slow, normal, and fast pace. Methods Forty-six healthy women between 19 and 54 years completed the walking and lifting activities; the order for each was randomized. IAP was monitored with an intra-vaginal pressure transducer that wirelessly transmitted pressure data to a portable base station. We analyzed maximal peak IAP and area under the curve (AUC) IAP. Results Monitoring IAP outside of the laboratory was feasible. Mean maximal IAP during walking increased as pace increased; 42.5 (SD 10.2), 50.5 (10.9), and 62.0 (12.1) cm H2O for slow, medium, and fast speeds, respectively (p < 0.0001 by mixed model ANOVA). The corresponding AUC of IAP for walking decreased as pace increased. The ‘awkward carry’, ‘side carry’, and ‘front carry’ activities each resulted in higher mean maximal IAP (65.8 (10.6), 67.7 (12.8), 77.3 (13.1) cm H2O, respectively) than the ‘carry in backpack’ activity (55.5 (11.4) cm H2O; p < 0.0001). Conclusion Subtle variations in walking speed or method of carrying a toddler-size load can produce significant changes in IAP. Whether these increase the risk of pelvic floor disorders is not yet clear. However, these data suggest further inquiry into optimal methods and appliances to assist women in carrying may enable achieving a lower IAP profile.