Objectives To design and validate a condition-specific quality of life questionnaire for the assessment of women with urinary incontinence, and to use the questionnaire to assess the quality of life of women with specific urodynamic diagnoses.Setting A tertiary referral urogynaecology unit at King's College Hospital, LondonDesign The questionnaire was designed following six different pilot studies; in this study it was tested for validity and reliability using standard psychometric techniques. The questionnaire was used in 293 consecutive women referred for investigation of urinary incontinence. ResultsThe questionnaire was shown to be reliable both by test-retest analysis and by measurement of its internal consistency. The construct of the questionnaire and the answers by respondents confirmed its face and content validity. Criterion validity was measured by correlation with scores obtained on a validated generic measure of quality of life, the Short Form 36. Women with detrusor instability had greater quality of life impairment than women with other urodynamic diagnoses. ConclusionThe questionnaire was easy for the women to use and was a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of quality of life in women with urinary incontinence. It will be useful for the rapid appraisal and follow up of women with urinary incontinence in many different clinical settings, including the evaluation of new treatments of urinary incontinence in controlled clinical trials.

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* At the time of this consultation, these definitions are not included in the current ICS terminology. RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE 2. EVALUATION The following phrases are used to classify diagnostic tests and studies: • A highly recommended test is a test that should be done on every patient. This section should also be read in conjunction with the relevant committee reports. RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE 6. ANORECTAL PHYSIOLOGY TESTING Endocoil MRI has high accuracy for detecting anal sphincter injury but is second line after endoanal ultrasound. Patients with faecal incontinence may benefit from assessment with MRI, particularly those with anorectal malformations and/or previous anal sphincter surgery. Defaecography may be useful and is recommended in patients with faecal incontinence, who have failed conservative therapies, and are possible candidates for laparoscopic ventral rectopexy. * Consider CONTINENCE PRODUCTS for temporary support during treatment Recent VVF Primary simple Consider Catheter, evaluate weekly Established VVF Primary complex Healed Persistant leakage Recurrence Post-irradiation Vaginal repair Consider timing Surgical repair Consider timing Consider interposition material If small, consider catheter, evaluate weekly Surgical repair 6-12 months Consider interposition material Surgical repair Consider timing Consider interposition material Assess fistula closure & assess continence status MANAGEMENT OF IATROGENIC URETERIC FISTULAE HISTORY CLINICAL ASSESSMENT MANAGEMENT* PRESUMED DIAGNOSIS Extra-urethral vaginal urinary leakage and/or signs of ureteric obstruction Clinical examination Urethro-cystoscopy Imaging (Xray/CT/ MRI, US) Evaluate upper urinary tract obstruction * Consider CONTINENCE PRODUCTS for temporary support during treatment Ureterovaginal fistula Endoluminal technique (stenting, nephrostomy) for at least 6 weeks Unable to stent (initially)... Re-evaluate for fistula closure, ureteric obstruction Persisting fistula or ureteric obstruction Ureteric reimplantation (open, laparoscopic or robotic) Healed Long-term follow-up for stricture and hydropephrosis * Consider CONTINENCE PRODUCTS for temporary support during treatment Patient education, adequate fibre diet and fluid intake; regular bowel care, preferably ± 3 times a week

OBJECTIVE To review the concept of urinary urgency and its practical measurement in clinical trials, and advance the hypothesis that while urge is experienced by normal people, urgency is always pathological. METHODS According to the International Continence Society (ICS) definition, urgency is the primary symptom of the overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome, but in clinical trials there are inconsistencies in both the definition and assessment of urgency. We searched the PubMed and BIOSIS databases for publications and abstracts related to the clinical assessment of urgency in patients with OAB. RESULTS The differentiation of urgency from the normal physiological desire to void is discussed. In clinical studies of OAB, urgency has been measured both qualitatively and quantitatively. Existing qualitative assessment scales for urgency are deficient in accuracy, validation or both, and are largely inconsistent with the currently accepted ICS definition of urgency. The quantitative assessment of urgency by diary entry has been validated and may be the most accurate, reproducible and clinically meaningful method available for measuring this variable. CONCLUSION Based on the existing ICS definition of urgency as ‘a compelling desire to pass urine that is difficult to defer’, the concept of qualitative assessment of urgency may be flawed.