Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Aug;5(4):181-7.
doi: 10.1177/1756287213489720.

Diagnosis and office-based treatment of urinary incontinence in adults. Part one: diagnosis and testing

Affiliations

Diagnosis and office-based treatment of urinary incontinence in adults. Part one: diagnosis and testing

Anne P Cameron et al. Ther Adv Urol. 2013 Aug.

Abstract

Urinary incontinence is a common problem in both men and women. This review article addresses its prevalence, risk factors, cost, the various types of incontinence, as well as how to diagnose them. The US Preventive Services Task Force, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and PubMed were reviewed for articles focusing on urinary incontinence. Incontinence is a common problem with a high societal cost. It is frequently underreported by patients so it is appropriate for primary-care providers to screen all women and older men during visits. A thorough history and physical examination combined with easy office-based tests can often yield a clear diagnosis and rule out other transient illnesses contributing to the incontinence. Specialist referral is occasionally needed in specific situations before embarking on a treatment plan.

Keywords: Stress urinary incontinence; diagnosis; lower urinary tract symptoms; prevalence; urge urinary incontinence.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest in preparing this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Flowchart in the diagnosis of urinary incontinence in adults.

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Abrams P., Andersson K., Birder L., Brubaker L., Cardozo L., Chapple C., et al. ; members of Committees and Fourth International Consultation on Incontinence (2010) Fourth International Consultation on Incontinence Recommendations of the International Scientific Committee: evaluation and treatment of urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and fecal incontinence. Neurourol Urodyn 29: 213–240 - PubMed
    1. Anger J., Saigal C., Stothers L., Thom D., Rodriguez L., Litwin M.; Urologic Diseases of America Project (2006) The prevalence of urinary incontinence among community dwelling men: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey. J Urol 176: 2103–2108 - PubMed
    1. Daneshgari F., Imrey P., Risendal B., Dwyer A., Barber M., Byers T. (2008) Differences in urinary incontinence between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women: a population-based study. BJU Int 101: 575–579 - PubMed
    1. Ebell M., Siwek J., Weiss B., Woolf S., Susman J., Ewigman B., et al. (2004) Strength of recommendation taxonomy (SORT): a patient-centered approach to grading evidence in the medical literature. J Am Board Fam Pract 17: 59–67 - PubMed
    1. Erdem N., Chu F. (2006) Management of overactive bladder and urge urinary incontinence in the elderly patient. Am J Med 119: 29–36 - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources