ABSTRACT
The pad test is a noninvasive, inexpensive tool to acquire objective data vital in confirming the diagnosis of incontinence, assessing its severity, and aiding in the treatment pathway needed. Pad tests may be used as a diagnostic and outcomes tool in both neurogenic and non-neurogenic patients. Quantitative pad are used to measure the amount of urine leakage during a set period after executing either a standardized set of activities or a normal daily routine. Short pad tests can differ somewhat, but typically involve emptying a patient’s bladder by catheterization, followed by the instillation of a specified amount of fluid. Home-based pad tests were developed to most closely resemble a patient’s daily activity and therefore more closely capture his or her true severity of incontinence. The pyridium pad test is a qualitative counterpart to the quantitative pad test. It is performed by asking a patient to take phenazopyridine hydrochloride, a medication that turns the urine orange.
