![Sample our Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing & Allied Health journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5944/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Medicine-Dentistry-Nursing-Allied-Health.jpg"})
Abstract
Objective - To estimate the seriousness and inconvenience of prostatism in a general practice population and to assess the consultation with the general practitioner (GP) in relation to seriousness of prostatism.
Design - A questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 979 men aged 50 years and over from two general practices in a village, and two in a city in the western part of The Netherlands.
Main outcome measure - Seriousness and inconvenience of prostatism according to the Symptom Index for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. Consultation with the GP for urinary symptoms.
Results - The prevalence of prostatism with moderate to severe symptoms was 20%. The majority (60%) of the men with prostatism did not consult their GP with these symptoms, and one fifth (19%) felt “mostly dissatisfied” to “terrible” due to their symptoms. Of this last group, a few (1.4% of the total population) nevertheless did not consult their GP.
Conclusions - Prostatism is a symptom complex caused not only by benign prostate hyperplasia. Prostatism is under-reported in general practice. Men with micturition problems should be encouraged to consult their practitioner.