Content validity of the Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Impact Index (BII); a measure of how urinary trouble and problems associated with BPH may impact the patient.

AIMS: The objective of this qualitative interview study was to assess the content validity of the Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Impact Index (BII) in a sample of men with signs and symptoms of Benign Prostatic Obstruction believed to be caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH lower urinary tract symptoms/BPH-LUTS) using concept elicitation (CE) and cognitive interviewing (CI) methods. METHODS: Fifty men with BPH-LUTS participated in the study; 27 completed CE interviews and 23 completed cognitive interviews. RESULTS: Patient's average age was 69 years with a mean duration of BPH-LUTS of 6.5 years. IPSS scores ranged from 8 to 33 (higher scores indicating greater symptom severity). Overall, the most frequent symptoms (prevalence of ≥ 75%) reported spontaneously or after further explanation were awakening from sleep, increased daytime voiding (frequency), urgent desire to void (urgency), slow stream, and feeling of incomplete bladder emptying. Symptoms primarily recognized in response to follow up probe questions with a prevalence of ≥ 40% included terminal dribble, splitting of urinary stream, intermittent stream, straining and post-micturition dribble. Especially bothersome [> 5 on the numerical rating scale (NRS) of 0-10] and frequent symptoms included urgency and awakening at night to void. Discomfort or pain while urinating and post-micturition dribble were equally bothersome though less frequent. Five BPH symptom-related impact themes were identified: coping, daily responsibilities, emotion, lifestyle and relationships, and sleep. CONCLUSIONS: The BII was found to be easily understood, does capture clinically relevant BPH impacts related to urinary trouble and problems, and does capture most of the important symptom-related impacts as described by participants in this study.

Providing leukocyte-reduced platelets using the CS-3000 PLUS.

Reducing leukocyte (WBC) contamination of platelet (PLT) concentrates diminishes some adverse effects associated with transfusions. To provide WBC-reduced PLTs, we initiated a program using bedside filtration. However, the inability to easily quantitate WBC removal and PLT loss at the bedside prompted us to perform filtration in the blood bank. To establish optimal methods, production of WBC-reduced PLTs using the CS-3000 PLUS was studied in three phases, during which technical modifications were made. During phase 1, prestorage WBC reduction was performed using the PALL LRF-10H filter, sterilely connected. WBC reduction was satisfactory, but PLT loss was excessive. During phase 2, the PLT-30 collection chamber and Fenwal Closed System Apheresis Kit with Integral Sepacell Leukocyte Reduction Filter were used. PLT yields were improved, but now WBC contamination was excessive. During phase 3, the interface offset was reduced from 10 to 6, and both PLT yields and WBC reduction were satisfactory. Using this final method (CS-3000 PLUS, PLT-30 collection chamber, integral filter and offset setting of 6), the mean PLT yield per unit is 4.29 x 10(11) (N = 1,146), and the mean WBC contamination is 0.50 x 10(6) (N = 32).