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Incontinence, Urinary Adult Female

Vanessa Joyce M. Evardone, BSMT, MD and Alexander Sasha Rackman, M.D. Reviewed 04/2024
 


BASICS

  • Urinary incontinence (UI): involuntary urine (ur) loss. Common in women. Few seek care despite effective options. May affect quality of life (QoL).

  • UI: transient (acute, <6 months, and revers...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • Age: Onset in childhood indicates congenital cause (ectopic ureter). Stress UI is common in women 19-64 years old; mixed UI is common >65 years old. 

  • Nature-duration: Stress UI pres...

TREATMENT

GENERAL MEASURES

  • Stepwise approach: conservative (1st line), Rx-mechanical devices (2nd line), invasive interventions (3rd line).

  • Tx correctable causes (infection, constipation).

  • Stress UI: 6 t...

ONGOING CARE

COMPLICATIONS

Skin maceration, (nursing home admissions), social isolation-depression, fear of leakage, impaired sexual function/ QoL, risk of falls-fractures. 

ADDITIONAL READING

Riemsma  R, Hagen  S, Kirschner-Hermanns  R, et al. Can incontinence be cured? A systematic review of cure rates. BMC Med.  2017;15(1):63. [View Abstract o...

CODES

ICD10

  • R32 Unspecified urinary incontinence

  • N39.3 Stress incontinence (female) (male)

  • N39.41 Urge incontinence

  • N39.46 Mixed incontinence

  • N39.45 Continuous leakage

  • N39.42 Incontinence without sensory aw...

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Most UI: diagnosed with Hx and PE in conjunction with CST, PVR, and UA. UDS does not add value in uncomplicated UI.

  • R/O: infection (UTI, STI), hematuria.

  • Try lifestyle changes first for ...

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