Female Urinary Incontinence Flashcards
What are the components of the urinary tract?
Upper and lower tracts
What are the components of the female upper urinary tract?
Kidneys
Ureters
What are the components of the female lower urinary tract?
Bladder and urethra
What is the function of the female upper urinary tract?
Low pressure distensible conduit with intrinsic peristalsis
Transport urine from nephrons via ureters to the bladder
What is the function of the female lower urinary tract?
Low pressure storage of urine
Efficient expulsion of urine at appropriate place and time
At what rate does the bladder fill?
0.5-5ml/min
What mechanism protects the nephrons from any damage secondary to retrograde transmission of back pressure or infection from the bladder?
Vesico-ureteric mechanism - one way valve which allows urine to flow only from kidney to ureter to bladder
What are the functions of the sympathetic and parasympathetic innervations of the bladder?
Sympathetic - storage, activated when under pressure
Parasympathetic - power, if in a relaxed environment and need to empty bladder, parasympathetic will do this
What is the function of the pudendal nerve innervating the bladder?
Voluntary control - works to contract started muscles and control the need to urinate (i.e. controls voluntary urination)
As the bladder fills, it accommodates increasing volume at a constantly low pressure, what occurs due to giving rise to gradual awareness of filling?
Inhibition of contraction
What is the role of cortical activity in bladder filling?
Activates a reciprocal guarding reflex by rhabdosphincter contraction, increasing sphincter contraction and resistance
Activates sympathetic pathway, reciprocal inhibition of the parasympathetic pathway
Medicates contraction of the bladder base and proximal urethra
Why does there need to be coordination between the bladder and the urethra?
Bladder emptying - bladder needs to contract and urethra relax
What is involved in normal bladder emptying?
Detrusor contraction
Urethral relaxation
Sphincter coordination
Absence of obstruction or anatomical shunts
Cortical influence controls coordination - activation of parasympathetic pathway and inhibition of sympathetic pathway
Parasympathetic - contracts bladder, relaxes urethra
What is the epidemiology of female urinary incontinence?
1 in 4 women by age 60 report incontinence
10-25% of women aged 15-60 report urinary incontinence
15-40% of women over the age of 60 in the community report incontinence
More than 50% of women in nursing homes are incontinent
From ages 25-50, what is the main type of incontinence?
Stress incontinence
After this point, overactive bladder takes over - urgency +/- urge incontinence +/- increased daytime frequency +/- nocturia
What is the ICS (2002) definition of urinary incontinence?
Any involuntary leakage of urine
What is the ICS (2002) definition of stress urinary incontinence?
Involuntary leakage on effort or exertion, on sneezing or coughing
What is the ICS (2002) definition of urge urinary incontinence?
Involuntary leakage accompanied or immediately preceded by urgency
What is the ICS (2002) definition of mixed urinary incontinence?
Involuntary leakage accompanied by or immediately preceded by urgency and on effort or exertion, or on sneezing or coughing
What is the impact of urinary incontinence?
Significantly impairs quality of life
Reduces social relationships and activities
Impair emotional and psychological wellbeing e.g. self-esteem issues, social isolation
Impair sexual relationships
Embarrassment and diminished self-esteem
It is due to the impact of urinary incontinence on women’s QoL that medical help is sought
What are the risk factors for urinary incontinence?
Chronic cough Age Parity Menopause Smoking Medical problems Increased intra-abdominal pressure Pelvic floor trauma Denervation Connective tissue disease Surgery
What are the main risk factors for female urinary incontinence?
Pregnancy and childbirth - incontinence problems are common in pregnancy
What is involved in the assessment of a patient with urinary incontinence?
History
Examination
Investigations
Management