Urinary incontinence in the elderly: a review

About 20% of the aging population of Canada is incontinent of urine, at a minimum annual cost of $150 million for incontinence pads alone. The inability of the individual or the family to cope with the problem is often the sole reason for placing the individual in an institution. Until recently, the subject received only sporadic attention from groups of urologists, gynaecologists and internists. The physiology and pathophysiology of micturition and urinary incontinence in the elderly are reviewed as the basis for appropriate management strategies. Geriatric urinary incontinence can be adequately evaluated, in most cases, by a clinical history in combination with a neurologic and urologic examination and cystometry.