Urodynamic tests: client preparation, assessment, and follow-up

Numerous types of voiding dysfunctions affect patients in all medical and surgical specialties. Recognition, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment or management of voiding dysfunctions have increasingly become the responsibility of many primary health care providers. Urodynamics is a series of neurourologic diagnostic procedures designed to aid in the diagnosis of many types of voiding problems. This article will provide the primary health care provider with a basic but brief review of lower urinary tract function, a fundamental explanation of the urodynamic evaluation and requirements, and a description of the responsibilities of the patient throughout the testing process. Each urodynamic procedure is described separately with the required instrumentation needed for each specific test. This article also will review the responsibilities of the primary health care provider in preprocedural family and patient education, care and preparation, and postprocedural care of the patient referred for a urodynamic evaluation. Additionally, the major indications for a urodynamic workup and etiologies of abnormal findings will be reviewed.