An assessment of clinicians’ and patients’ experiences in the management of bladder pain syndrome

Abstract

Current management of bladder pain syndrome (BPS) was evaluated through a prospective electronic questionnaire posted on three patient support groups and sent to all members on the British Society of Urogynaecology (BSUG) database. Methods of diagnosis and treatment were assessed. 133 patients and 69 clinicians participated in the survey. Patients reported their main symptom to be pain when their bladder was full in 80% (n = 107) and the most bothersome symptom was pelvic pain (22%, n = 29). 93% (n = 64) of clinicians made their diagnosis by history and cystoscopy. 78% (n = 54) of clinicians treated patients with amitriptyline and 75% (n = 52) by dietary modification while 77% (n = 102) of patients reported using simple analgesia, 74% (n = 98) dietary modification and 62% (n = 83) low-dose long-term antibiotics. There is wide variation in diagnostic methods and treatments of BPS used by clinicians and experienced by patients with no obvious consensus. National guidance is needed to help standardise care.

Keywords::

• Bladder pain syndrome
• pelvic pain
• survey
• urogynaecology

Contribution of authors

SA Tirlapur: Drafted, piloted and distributed surveys, analysed data and prepared the manuscript.

KS Khan: Drafted and revised the survey and manuscript.

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the pelvic pain network (www.pelvicpainnetwork.org.uk), cystitis and overactive bladder foundation UK (www.cobfoundation.org) and international painful bladder foundation (www.painful-bladder.org) for posting the patient survey on their website and to the British Society of Urogynaecology (BSUG) for distributing the survey of clinicians to their members.

Ethics

This survey was discussed with the local research and development team at Queen Mary, University of London and no ethical approvals were deemed necessary.

Declaration of interest: None declared.