Læknablaðið - 15.04.1995, Page 27

LÆKNABLAÐIÐ 1995; 81
309
Könnun á algengi þvagleka
meðal kvenna og árangri
einfaldrar meðferðar í héraði
Sigurður Halldórsson, Guðrún G. Eggertsdóttir, Sigríður Kjartansdóttir
Halldórsson S, Eggertsdóttir GG, Kjartansdóttir S
Prevalence of female urinarv incontinencc and the
effect of simple treatment measurcs at a hcalth ccntre
Læknablaðið 1995; 81: 309-17
The purpose of this study was to find out the preva-
lence of female urinary incontinence outside institu-
tions, its effects on daily life and to see if effective
treatment was possible with relatively simple diag-
nostic and treatment measures at the local health
centre. A questionnaire was sent to all women (131)
over the age of 20 living in private homes in Öxar-
fjörður, a small rural community in Iceland. The
results showed a 56% overall prevalence of self-
reported incontinence, thereof 29% with moderate
or severe symptoms. About 70% of the women with
incontinence had typical stress incontinence, 14%
urgency incontinence and 16% mixed symptoms.
There was a statistically significant relationship be-
tween incontinence and number of childbirths but
not regarding age. The incontinence had some ad-
verse effects on daily life for 39% of women with
incontinence or 20% of the whole sample. Some
treatment for incontinence had been given earlier to
26 women with variable results. Only four women
had a registered incontinence diagnosis at the health
centre. All women with incontinence were invited to
participate in pelvic floor exercise groups or offered
written instructions of pelvic floor exercises. Those
with moderate or severe symptoms were offered a
Frá Heilsugæslustöðinni á Kópaskeri. Fyrirspurnirog bréfa-
skipti: Sigurður Halldórsson, Heilsugæslustöðinni, 670
Kópasker.
Lykilorð: Þvagleki, grindarbotnsæfingar.
more extensive evaluation and examination at the
health centre, resulting in a number of cases in other
treatment like antibiotics or oestrogen’s. A new
questionnaire 10 months later showed that 61% of
the women had improved. The improvement was
statistically significant for the group with stress in-
continence and for those attending the treatment
groups. Pelvic floor exercises were helpful even
when symptoms were severe and though they were
only performed once or twice a week. We recom-
mend an active diagnostic approach and a trial of
systematic pelvic floor exercises and post- meno-
pausal hormone treatment before resorting to surgi-
cal treatment for urinary incontinence.
Ágrip
Tilgangur þessarar rannsóknar var að kanna
algengi þvagleka hjá konum sem dveljast utan
stofnana, áhrif hans á daglegt líf og hvort hægt
væri að bæta úr með einföldum aðferðum á
heilsugæslustöð. Sendur var spurningalisti til
allra kvenna 21 árs og eldri í Öxarfjarðarhér-
aði, sem bjuggu heima, alls 131 konu. Reynd-
ust 63 (56%) hafa þvagleka, þar af 32 (29%)
talsverðan eða mikinn. Af 63 konum með
þvagleka höfðu 70% áreynsluþvagleka, 14%
bráðaþvagleka og 16% blönduð einkenni.
Marktækt samband var við fjölda fæðinga, en
ekki við aldur. Þvaglekinn hafði heftandi áhrif
á daglegt líf hjá 39% kvenna með þvagleka eða
20% af heildinni. Áður höfðu 26 konur fengið
einhverja meðferð við þvagleka með misjöfn-
um árangri. Aðeins fjórar voru með þessa sjúk-
dóntsgreiningu á heilsugæslustöðinni. Öllum
nteð þvagleka var boðin æfingameðferð í hóp-
unt eða skriflegar leiðbeiningar um grindar-
botnsæfingar. Tilboð unt nánara mat og skoð-