The prevalence and severity of symptoms of incontinence in adult cystic fibrosis patients

Abstract

Patients with chronic lung disease are believed to be at an increased risk of developing urinary stress incontinence and/or bowel dysfunction because of the stress that repeated coughing places on the pelvic floor (Jones, Jenkins, & Lee, 1997). The purpose of this study is to document the prevalence, severity, and impact of urinary and faecal incontinence in adult patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Seventy-one patients (42 males, 29 females) with a mean age of 24.6 years (range 18-44) attending an adult CF unit completed a questionnaire. Eleven female patients (37.9%) reported leaking of urine. The frequency of incontinence ranged from four times a week to episodic incontinence during a pulmonary exacerbation. The amount of urine leaked was at most small, and coughing was identified as the main activity that caused leaking. No females reported faecal incontinence. Two male patients (4.8%) reported incontinence. One of these reported frequent ongoing episodes of leaking small amounts of urine, not associated with coughing, and the other male reported a single incident of faecal incontinence. In general, for females and males, the incontinence was perceived as causing few problems. The prevalence of incontinence in this sample of adult patients with CF was higher than would be expected in a general population of similar age. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and to evaluate the effectiveness of pelvic floor muscle exercises and rehabilitation in preventing or treating incontinence in patients with CF.