Aims: This Delphi study was planned to examine global expert consensus with regard to utility, accuracy, and categorization of the bladder contractility index (BCI), bladder outlet obstruction index (BOOI), and the related evidence. This manuscript deals with adult women and follows a previous manuscript reporting on adult men.
Methods: Twenty-nine experts were invited to answer the two-round survey including three foundation questions and 12 survey questions. Consensus was defined as ≥75% agreement. The ordinal scale (0-10) in round 1 was classified into "strongly agree," "agree," "neutral," "disagree," and "strongly disagree" for the final round. A systematic search for evidence was conducted for therapeutic studies that have examined outcome stratified by the indices in women.
Results: Eighteen experts participated in the survey with 100% completion. Consensus was noted with regard to 2 of 12 questions, both in the negative. The experts had a consensus that BOOI was neither accurate nor useful and a similar negative trend was noted with regard to BCI. However, there was support, short of consensus, for the utility on an index of bladder contractility and bladder outflow obstruction. Systematic search yielded eight publications pertaining to stress urinary incontinence (n = 6), pelvic organ prolapse (n = 1), and intra-sphincteric botulinum toxin (n = 1).
Conclusions: Experts had significant concerns with regard to the use of the male BCI and BOOI in adult women despite a general recognition of the need for numerical indices of contractility and obstruction. Systematic search showed a striking lack of evidence in this regard.
Keywords: adult women; bladder contractility index; bladder outlet obstruction index; lower urinary tract symptoms; urodynamics.
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