ElectroMotive Drug Administration
ElectroMotive Drug Administration is a new method of delivering drugs to the deeper layers of the bladder, developed by Physion.
Medication has traditionally been delivered to the bladder lining by intravesical installation. The problems with this method of drug delivery have been the slow rate of diffusion and the lack of control the medical practitioner has had over the rate of drug administration.
EMDA uses a small amount of electricity to deliver the medication straight to the deeper layers of the tissue requiring treatment. This results in the treatment being concentrated and direct. The method is a non-invasive, localised administration of drugs.
The procedure may cause some discomfort. If you are concerned about this, discuss pain relief with your doctor.
First a urethral catheter containing an electrode will need to be inserted into the bladder. Then patches, which also contain electrodes, are applied to the skin. A small electric current is passed along the catheter to the bladder. This current pulls with it the medication to be installed and allows it to bypass the bladder’s protective lining, enabling the medication to penetrate the deeper layers of the bladder wall. This increases the potential efficacy of the medication.
Altering the strength of the electric current controls the rate of the drug administered.
EMDA and Bladder Distension
Bladder distension is used to increase the capacity of the bladder. This procedure may provide some relief for interstitial cystitis sufferers and is often the first treatment they are given.
An anaesthetic is required for bladder distension. This can be either a general or local anaesthetic. If a bladder distension is performed under a general anaesthetic the muscle of the bladder is not relaxed. To distend the bladder the fluid needs to be forced in. This can cause rupturing of the bladder lining and bleeding, resulting in discomfort and pain for sometime after the procedure. If bladder distension is performed using EMDA to anaesthetise the bladder and detrusor muscle, gravity enables the fluid to run in and a good distension is reached without pain. No tearing or bleeding occurs and there will be only a small amount of discomfort after the procedure.
Redness may occur where the electrodes (skin patches) were placed, and a few patients may experience skin blistering at these sites.
EMDA is a new method of delivering medication to the bladder. It is only available on a limited basis at present in the UK, although this situation is continually improving.
Before undergoing any form of treatment you should discuss it with your doctor, who should be able to provide you with the benefits and disadvantages of the particular treatment you are being offered.
You always have the final decision on whether to have any treatment offered to you