THE INFUSION TRIAL OF MICTURITION

Objective To compare three methods for a trial of micturition (TOM) (t he midnight removal of the catheter, dawn removal, and a new infusion method) in a randomized prospective study, Patients and methods A tota l of 118 consecutive patients who had undergone transurethral resectio n of the prostate (TURF) or bladder neck incision (BNI) underwent TOM by one of the three methods. In the infusion method, the bladder was f illed at a fast-drip rate via the catheter from a bag of normal saline connected by an intravenous supply set. The catheter was then removed , the patient voided and the volume was measured. From the volume of s aline remaining, it was possible to calculate the residual volume in t he patient, Results The infusion TOM took a mean 13 h less than the ot her two methods, which were statistically indistinguishable. Conclusio n The infusion TOM is safe and simple, is quick to carry out and can b e performed at any time, It establishes the completeness of bladder em ptying, which helps in the assessment of voiding.