An exploration of outcome criteria in nocturnal enuresis treatment
The way forward

Abstract

This paper is a review of outcome definitions and criteria for nocturnal enuresis treatment. A search of the literature published between 1991 and 2001 highlighted 97 papers. Although the International Children's Continence Society and the World Health Organization have published outcome criteria, different, often idiosyncratic, outcome criteria and/or definitions have been adopted in published research on treatment for nocturnal enuresis in recent years. There remains a debate as to what constitutes successful treatment and how to document improvement. Lack of an agreed definition of outcome reduces confidence in comparing studies, with serious clinical and research implications. This paper reviews aspects of importance in determining outcome, including a suggestion to focus on the establishment of dry nights rather than the reduction of wet nights. A new set of criteria is suggested, consisting of a banding system referred to as a “dryness scale”, which focuses on the percentage of dry nights accomplished at a point in time, thus eliminating the need to compare current levels of dryness with a baseline.

• dryness scale
• nocturnal enuresis
• outcome criteria