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International prostate symptom score (IPSS)

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  It is useful to have a scoring system which is recognised across the world. The IPSS  helps patients and the medical profession describe accurately the severity of symptoms and helps decide treatment options. This score was first described and validated at the Medical Practices Evaluation Centre, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.
 

 

Not at all

< 1 time in 5

< half the time

About half the time

> half the time

Almost always

Your score

 

Incomplete emptying
In the past month, how often have you had a sensation of not emptying your bladder completely after you finish urinating?

0

1

2

3

4

5

 

 

Frequency Over the past month, how often have you had to urinate again less than two hours after you finished urinating?

0

1

2

3

4

5

 

 

Intermittency Over the past month, how often have you found you stopped and started again several times when you urinated?

0

1

2

3

4

5

 

 

Urgency Over the last month, how difficult have you found it to postpone urination?

0

1

2

3

4

5

 

 

Weak stream Over the past month, how often have you had a weak urinary stream?

0

1

2

3

4

5

 

 

Straining Over the past month, how often have you had to push or strain to begin urination?

0

1

2

3

4

5

 

  Nocturia Over the past month, many times did you most typically get up to urinate from the time you went to bed until the time you got up in the morning?

0

1

2

3

4

5

 
   

Total IPSS score
 

 

 Additional question:-

 

Quality of life due to urinary symptoms 

 

Delighted

Pleased

Mostly satisfied

Mixed – about equally satisfied/ dissatisfied

Mostly dissatisfied

Unhappy

Terrible

 

If you were to spend the rest of your life with these symptoms how would you feel?

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

 

Total score: 0-7 Mildly symptomatic; 8-19 moderately symptomatic; 20-35 severely symptomatic.

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