Enuresis alarm

Teaching continence skills and various behavioral and conditioning methods remain the primary treatments for enuresis, and drug treatment remains a secondary approach. Combined treatment with an enuresis alarm and desmopressin may be successful for severe enuresis. ... 

Glazener, C.M. and Evans, J.H. (2001) Alarm interventions for nocturnal enuresis in children (Cochrane Review). Cochrane Database Syst Rev 1 CD002911. 

This is quite a common condition affecting some 7% of 7 year olds who continue to wet the bed at least once a week. The cause of nocturnal enuresis is complex and beyond the scope of this volume. It is evident, however, that various treatments are available including retention control, dry-bed training, enuretic night alarms and waking the child to urinate... 

The synthetic vasopressin peptide, desmopressin, has been extensively investigated and shown to be effective as tricyclic antidepressants in the control of nocturnal enuresis and to enhace the enuretic night alarm treatment. The side effects are relatively few (nasal pain, conjunctivitis) when given by nasal spray. The precise mechanism of action of this peptide is unknown. 

Nondrug approaches to enuresis management, such as dry-bed training or using moisture-sensitive alarms, are preferred because of higher cure rates and avoidance of drug side effects. 

Monda JM, Husmann DA. Primary nocturnal enuresis A comparison among observation, imipramine, desmopressin acetate and bedwetting alarm systems. J Urol 1995 154 745-748. 

Bradbury MG, Meadow SR. Combined treatment with enirresis alarm and desmopressin for noctirrnal enuresis. Acta Paediatr 1995 84 1014-1018. 

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