title: How to try this: Assessment of transient urinary incontinence in older adults.
abstract: Urinary incontinence in older adults is associated with an increased risk of institutionalization, as well as with urinary tract infections and depression. Transient urinary incontinence arises suddenly, lasts less than six months, and results from reversible causes. Many caregivers erroneously consider urinary incontinence to be inevitable in older adults, especially in hospitalized patients. Failure to identify and respond to transient urinary incontinence may lead to established incontinence and to other poor outcomes after hospital discharge. A bladder diary and a mnemonic are two methods nurses can use to assess for transient urinary incontinence and its treatable underlying causes. For a free online video showing nurses using these methods, go to http://links.lww.com/A311.
authors.affiliation: Evelyn L. Spiro School of Nursing, Wagner College, Staten Island, NY, USA. castronovo@wagner.edu
authors.forename: Annemarie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dowling-Castronovo
authors.forename: Janet K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Specht
mesh_terms: D000004:Abbreviations as Topic; D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D019985:Benchmarking / Q000379:methods*; D015984:Causality; D004282:Documentation; D055318:Evidence-Based Nursing; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000379:methods; D008499:Medical Records; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D009737:Nursing Records; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000451:nursing; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing