The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Digital Repetitive Infrapubic Pressure maneuver, a self-administered procedure used to provide symptomatic relief in initiating and maintaining urine flow impeded by benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Eligible patients were alternately assigned to either immediate instruction on the use of the Digital Repetitive Infrapubic Pressure maneuver (immediate intervention group) or to a return appointment to receive instructions in the maneuver four weeks after the initial assessment date (delayed intervention group). Patients were to utilize the procedure on every occasion they had difficulty initiating, maintaining, or completing urine flow between the time of their instruction and their subsequent visit. At the initial assessment visits and the final visit, the patients completed an International Prostate Score Sheet (IPSS). A telephone survey was conducted with all patients an average of nine months following their instruction in the maneuver, to determine the extent to which they were still using it.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
48
The Digital Repetitive Infrapubic Pressure maneuver is performed by exerting moderate inwards pressure with the index and middle fingers, spread slightly apart, palm-side up, pushing into the fold of skin at the base of the penis, where it comes forward beneath the pubic bones, one fingertip on each side of the penis' suspensory ligament. By repeatedly pushing inwards and slightly upwards, at a rate of about once per second, to a distance of about two centimeters, at times of significant urinary hesitancy it is often possible either to initiate spontaneous flow, or to pass a small quantity of urine with each push, such that after a minute or two one can empty the bladder to a satisfactory degree. While a few men find it useful when voiding in a standing position, for the majority, the maneuver requires a forward-leaning seated posture for optimal results.
Kaiser Permanente
Santa Clara, California, United States
Change in the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS)
The primary efficacy analyses compared the change over time in the IPSS scores between the immediate and the delayed intervention groups, and the changes over time between pre- and post-intervention scores for all patients completing the study.
Time frame: The initial time frame was to average four weeks. There was a subsequent follow up time frame averaging nine months
Continued use of technique following intervention
Secondary efficacy analysis: The number of patients (percentage of patients completing the study) who were still employing the technique on follow-up nine months later.
Time frame: Nine months after intial 4 week intervention
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