Diagnostic Accuracy of a Nocturia Single Question Scale as a Predictor of Severity of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Men.

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluates the efficacy of the Nocturia Severity Quality Score (NSQS) as a simplified tool for assessing the severity of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men, comparing it to the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), the established standard.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis on 697 men aged ≥40 from two urban urology clinics in Brazil. Participants completed both the IPSS and the NSQS, the latter consisting of a single question assessing nocturia frequency on a scale from 0 to 4. Diagnostic accuracy was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to compare the NSQS against the IPSS.

RESULTS

The NSQS effectively distinguished between moderate/severe and mild/asymptomatic LUTS, achieving an area under the ROC curve of 0.75 (95% CI: 0.72-0.79). NSQS thresholds of ≥2 and ≥3 episodes per night corresponded to increased likelihoods of moderate to severe LUTS, with significant diagnostic value despite varying sensitivities and specificities.

CONCLUSION

The NSQS provides a valid, efficient alternative to the IPSS for the initial assessment of LUTS severity in men.