Objective: To evaluate the immediate response of electrical stimulation in children with neurogenic bladder (NB) due to myelomeningocele, using the urodynamic study (UDS).
Methods: This is a nonrandomized intervention study with 26 children with neurogenic overactive bladder and low bladder compliance due to myelomeningocele, aged 5 to 15 years. Each child performed a routine UDS and then a second UDS, during which the electrical stimulation was applied in the parasacral region. The main outcome was the difference in the maximum bladder pressure observed between the two urodynamic studies, analyzed from the paired t test.
Results: We found that 77% of the patients had a lower maximum bladder pressure in the test with electrostimulation compared with the ones without electrostimulation. On average, the pressure reduction after stimulation was 7.24 cmH2 O (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.35-14.14; P = .04). The reduction was even higher in children under 12 years of age, compared with the children above 12 years (11.29 cmH2 O, 95% CI, 3.47-19.12; P = .01).
Conclusion: The use of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation had a significant immediate effect on reducing the maximum bladder pressure during the urodynamic studies among the tested pediatric patients with NB. The results were more significant among children under 12 years of age.
Keywords: bladder; child; myelomeningocele; neurogenic; transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation.
© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.