A Brazilian study has demonstrated the effectiveness of a treatment for vesicointestinal dysfunction in children. The condition consists of urinary incontinence associated with constipation, with frequent cases of urinary infection. It is estimated that the disease affects 7.5% of children between the ages of 5 and 14, according to the Bahiana School of Medicine and Public Health, responsible for the research.
Symptoms are noticed after defrocking and include urgency and increased frequency of urination, as well as low frequency of defecation (three or fewer times a week).
The treatment is carried out with parasacral electroneuro-stimulation (Tens), i.e. the non-invasive application of electrodes to the skin in the child's lower back, just above the buttocks. This is the same procedure that has been used to treat only urinary incontinence, but which has also proved effective in treating the constipation associated with it.
O estudo, que é fruto da tese de doutorado da coloproctologista Glícia Abreu, foi publicado recentemente no periódico norte-americano <em>Journal of Urology</em>. O orientador da pesquisa foi Ubirajara Barroso Jr., que vem trabalhando há 20 anos com uso e aprimoramento do Tens no tratamento da incontinência urinária em crianças.
"The intestine and bladder are born together embryologically. During fetal life, they separate but maintain the same innervation, so there is a certain cross-communication between the two. In people who have constipation, the bladder can have its sensitivity altered and vice versa," explains Barroso Jr.
Tens has been shown to be effective in treating 70% of cases of vesicointestinal dysfunction in children and adolescents. "The advantage is that it's a single method for both [urinary incontinence and constipation], which makes it easier and cheaper. In addition, the other method for treating incontinence would be anticholinergic medication, which worsens constipation, so it wouldn't be a suitable method for treating incontinence because it would worsen the other end of the problem [constipation]. Our method is one with no significant adverse effects."
According to Barroso Jr., Tens treatment is offered by the Unified Health System (SUS).
Other publications:
https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/saude/noticia/2021-10/tratamento-se-mostra-eficaz-contra-disfuncao-vesicointestinal-infantil
This is Money https://www.istoedinheiro.com.br/tratamento-se-mostra-eficaz-contra-disfuncao-vesicointestinal-infantil/
Gazeta de Alagoas https://www.gazetaweb.com/noticias/ciencia-e-saude/tratamento-se-mostra-eficaz-contra-disfuncao-vesicointestinal-infantil/
Portal Rondon: https://portalrondon.com.br/2021/10/tratamento-se-mostra-eficaz-contra-disfuncao-vesicointestinal-infantil/
Mato Grosso: https://omatogrosso.com/saude/tratamento-se-mostra-eficaz-contra-disfuncao-vesicointestinal-infantil/
Gazeta de Piracicaba https://m.gazetadepiracicaba.com.br/ultimas/2021/10/1132475-tratamento-se-mostra-eficaz-contra-disfuncao-vesicointestinal-infantil.html
ABC do ABC https://www.abcdoabc.com.br/brasil-mundo/noticia/tratamento-se-mostra-eficaz-contra-disfuncao-vesicointestinal-infantil-137372
The Review https://www.acritica.net/editorias/saude/tratamento-se-mostra-eficaz-contra-disfuncao-vesic-0848e9b666514e778b0/557033/