Table 4.

Comparison of pressures measured with the diagnostic and biofeedback catheters in women and men^†

Variable	Women, n	Men, n	Women		Men		P-value (diagnostic vs biofeedback catheter; women)	P-value (diagnostic vs biofeedback catheter; men)
			Diagnostic Mean ± SEM	Biofeedback Mean ± SEM	Diagnostic Mean ± SEM	Biofeedback Mean ± SEM
Anal resting pressure	51	30	70 ± 3	66 ± 3	75 ± 4	72 ± 4	0.23	0.49
Anal squeeze pressure‡	51	30	154 ± 7	151 ± 7	222 ± 11	226 ± 11	0.72	0.71
Anal squeeze increment‡,§	51	29	77 ± 5	80 ± 5	144 ± 10	152 ± 10	0.53	0.43
Evacuation with rectal distention
Rectal pressure	30	18	42 ± 4	40 ± 4	59 ± 5	53 ± 5	0.57	0.26
Anal pressure	36	21	60 ± 5	62 ± 5	66 ± 6	71 ± 6	0.65	0.33
Rectoanal gradient	30	18	−22 ± 7	−24 ± 7	−11 ± 6	−24 ± 6	0.81	0.06
Anal relaxation (%)	36	21	−2 ± 9	5 ± 9	−9 ± 7	−12 ± 7	0.46	0.71
Defecation index¶	36	21	.27 ± .19	.53 ± .19	.69 ± .14	.74 ± .14	0.18	0.72
Rectal sensation
First sensation (mL)	51	29	44 ± 4	33 ± 4	42 ± 4	36 ± 4	0.003	0.07
Desire to defecate (mL)	51	29	87 ± 4	81 ± 4	87 ± 6	82 ± 6	0.20	0.33
Urgency (mL)	51	29	121 ± 4	116 ± 4	140 ± 6	127 ± 6	0.23	0.02
Pain (mL)	41	22	134 ± 5	135 ± 5	160 ± 7	150 ± 7	0.87	0.06

^†Values are mmHg unless stated otherwise.

^‡These values are derived from the squeeze maneuver with the highest squeeze pressure;

^§Squeeze increment is (anal squeeze pressure – anal resting pressure).

^¶No unit.