Assessing Quality of Life Outcomes with Tolterodine Treatment in Double J Stent Patients
H. N. Naveen *
Department of Urology, SSIMS, Karnataka, India.
Reshma Mayya
Department of Pharmacy Practice, SSIMS, Karnataka, India.
Mohammed Bilal
Department of Pharmacy Practice, SSIMS, Karnataka, India.
Niranjan Hiremath
Department of Pharmacy Practice, SSIMS, Karnataka, India.
Shranga Gopal Chandan
Department of Pharmacy Practice, SSIMS, Karnataka, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Double-J ureteral stents are associated with urinary symptoms and impaired daily functioning. This study examined short-term patient-reported outcomes among adults prescribed tolterodine following stent placement.
Methods: A six-month, single-centre observational study at the S. S. Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Davanagere, included 55 adults with renal or ureteric calculi who underwent double-J stenting and were prescribed tolterodine. An investigator-developed 23-item questionnaire informed by the King’s Health Questionnaire was administered after stenting and at one and two weeks. Descriptive outcomes and reported within-patient paired comparisons were examined.
Results: Mean composite scores (mean ± SD) were 31.02 ± 7.54 following stenting, 14.73 ± 6.57 at one week, and 1.80 ± 2.43 at two weeks. These means represent decreases of 52.5% and 94.2% from the initial post-stent assessment. Paired comparisons were reported as p < .001. The absence of a comparison group and incomplete information on outcome validation, concurrent treatment, and stent status preclude attribution of these changes to tolterodine.
Conclusion: Self-reported symptom and functioning scores decreased markedly over two weeks in this treated cohort. Controlled studies using validated ureteral-stent outcome instruments are needed to estimate the drug-specific contribution.
Keywords: Double-J ureteral stent, tolterodine, urinary symptoms, quality of life, observational study, patient-reported outcomes