For a study, researchers wanted to see if adding triamcinolone acetonide to a regular bladder installation solution may help in the treatment of interstitial cystitis–bladder pain syndrome. This was a single-center, randomized, double-blind study that evaluated symptom response in women with interstitial cystitis–bladder pain syndrome who had six bladder instillations with triamcinolone acetonide versus six installations without.
Heparin, viscous lidocaine, sodium bicarbonate, and bupivacaine were all included in all of the installation solutions. Based on the overall OLS score, the primary outcome was the difference in interstitial cystitis–bladder pain syndrome symptoms across groups from the first to sixth bladder instillation. Assuming a 4.03-point or greater difference in the mean total OLS score across groups from the first to sixth bladder instillation, 64 women were required to indicate a significant difference with 80% power at the 0.05 significance level. 90 women were recruited between January 2019 and October 2020, 45 in each group. 71 completed all six bladder instillations. Groups with comparable characteristics were formed as a consequence of randomization. In terms of the primary result, there were no differences between groups bladder instillation with triamcinolone acetonide: mean OLS change −6.7 points, 95% CI 4.6–8.8 and bladder instillation without triamcinolone acetonide: mean OLS change −5.8 points, 95% CI 3.4–8.1; P =.31). Women in both groups improved in terms of interstitial cystitis–bladder pain syndrome symptoms, as measured by a decrease in overall OLS score from the first to sixth bladder instillation.
The addition of triamcinolone acetonide to a normal bladder installation solution improves symptoms associated with interstitial cystitis–bladder pain syndrome but does not alleviate them.
