The Urethral Pressure Profile

Abstract

A new method of assessing urethral competence has been developed (Brown & Wickham 1969). It was originally devised to study the effect of electrical stimulation to the pelvic floor on the closure forces in the urethra. There seem to be applications of the technique in the study of incontinence and of strictures.The basic apparatus is an electric strain gauge manometer coupled to a pen recorder. This is used to record the pressure at the distal end of a single lumen urethral catheter through which a constant, but very slow, flow of water is forced by an infusion pump or a very high infusion bottle. The water forced through the catheter is expelled from the catheter eye against the urethral wall. The presure developed inside the catheter in order to o'rtrcome the wall pressure over the catheter eye, and the wall pressure itself can be shown to be very nearly equal.The flow of water is regulated to about 003 ml/sec by a standard infusion regulator situated on the water feed tube just distal to the point of pressure measurement. This flow rate is chosen for a compromise between the response time error, due to very slow flow rates, and the viscosity error due to higher flow rates. An advantage of this simple system is that fast response times (about 0O1 sec) will permit its use for continuous profile measurement. The catheter, calibrated in centimetres, is drawn slowly down the urethra and the recorder auto-40 matically plots the urethral wall pressure as a continuous graph. A complete profile takes about twenty seconds to make and a series of profiles can be plotted sequentially to trace the effect of electrical stimulation, chemotherapy, dilation or other surgery.

Comparison of two experimental models of urodynamic evaluation in female rats

“…The classic technique described in the literature for urodynamic studies in humans 13 was adapted to small animals and applied in diverse experimental conditions, demonstrating good reproducibility and a similar anatomicpharmacological correlation as is observed in the original report. 14 Urethral evaluation "in vivo" was made possible by this adapted methodology, otherwise obtained with invasive techniques by surgical manipulation.…”

Urethral pressure measurement after division of the external sphincter

“…The introduction of the Urethral Pressure Profile Catheter by Brown and Wickham in 1969 solved these problems (Brown & Wickham, 1969;Harrison & Constable, 1970). The pressure gradient from the bladder, through the sphincter and along the urethra can be obtained during slow withdrawal of this catheter.…”

A magnetic device for increasing the urethral resistance to flow: an experimental study in female dogs

“…The urethral pressure pro®le (UPP) was recorded using a technique essentially similar to that described by Brown and Wickham [10]. An 8 F catheter with multiple sideholes situated 6 cm from its tip was used (Porg e Ás SA, Le Plessis Robinson, Ce Âdex-France).…”