Treatment response for nocturnal enuresis in Taiwanese children: A comparison of medical departments

Abstract

Purpose: This retrospective study aims to evaluate the medical treatment response, treatment choice, and medication adjustment during a clinical follow-up in Taiwanese children with nocturnal enuresis (NE). Materials and methods: A total of 287 children diagnosed with NE were included in the study. Patients’ characteristics, treatment response, and medication adjustment after the second clinic visit were analyzed. The study also compared treatment options chosen by different medical departments. Results: Of the 287 children analyzed, 56.8% received medical treatment, 68.8% were older than 7 years (P < 0.001), and 45.6% were initially treated with desmopressin. The presence of daytime symptoms did not significantly affect the prescription of medication at the first clinic visit (P = 0.817). However, 76.9% of children with daytime symptoms who were initially treated with desmopressin needed medication adjustment during their second clinic visit (P = 0.01). Urologists were more likely to prescribe medications than other medical departments at the first clinic visit (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Almost half of the Taiwanese children with NE (46%) in this study had a satisfactory treatment response after the initial treatment. Urologists were more likely to use medications as their initial treatment strategy. The limitation included bias from heterogeneous study population and limited information of pretreatment urodynamic or imaging studies. Further education is required for both general public and medical departments to improve the treatment outcomes of children with enuresis.