The impact of bowel management on the quality of life in children with spina bifida with overactive bladder and detrusor sphincter dyssynergia

Objective The aim of the study was to assess the impact of bowel management on the quality of life in children with spina bifida with overactive bladder and detrusor sphincter dyssynergia. Materials and method The research was carried out over the 2014-2017 period, during which 70 patients with spina bifida with overactive bladder and detrusor sphincter dyssynergia were observed. The first group (group 1) consisted of 35 patients who were administered bowel management combined with anticholinergic medication therapy and CIC. The second group (group 2) consisted of 35 patients who were treated only with anticholinergic medication therapy and CIC. Bowel management included daily enema, laxative application, and a special diet, with a view of treating constipation and fecal incontinence that was estimated on the basis of Roma III criteria, the echosonographically determined transversal rectal diameter, and encopresis frequency. The effects of the administered bowel management on urinary incontinence were estimated on the basis of the average dry interval between two CICs. Regarding the quality of life, a KINDL questionnaire was used for children and parents to determine the overall quality of life, but also the various aspects of the quality of children's life (physical well-being, emotional well-being, self-confidence, family, friends, school, disease). The test score ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 is the lowest and 100 denotes the highest quality of life. The follow-up period of every patient was one year. Results At baseline, there was no significant difference between the groups regarding demographic and clinical features (p > 0.05). After one year, treatment by bowel management demonstrated significant improvement for both fecal constipation /incontinence and urinary incontinence (p < 0.001). The bowel management group showed improved overall quality of life in contrast to the group without bowel management 88.9 +/- 7.1 vs. 55.4 +/- 11.4 (p < 0.001, assessed by parents) and 84.5 +/- 8.9 vs. 53.4 +/- 12.5 (p < 0.001, assessed by children), respectively. Moreover, the positive impact of bowel management on quality of life was confirmed for all domains of the quality of life (physical well-being, emotional well-being, self-confidence, family, friends, school, disease), (p <0.001 for all), both by the parents' and the children's assessment. Conclusion Administering bowel management considerably alleviates the symptoms of fecal and urinary incontinence and considerably improves the quality of life. Bowel management should be considered as an integral part of treatment of children with spina bifida.