Incontinence

Incontinence (wetness) is the inability to hold urine when a child cannot make it to the bathroom. Incontinence can lead to embarrassment for the child, smelly clothes, rash, and a host of other social issues. Incontinence is usually the clinical manifestations of an underlying disorder. For instance constipation, abnormal kidney development, or urinary tract infection can cause incontinence. Usually a child who is persistently incontinent after age 5, there is usually an underlying issue that is causing the incontinence. Incontinence is usually associated with urgency (sudden urges to urinate) and frequency (having to go often).

The work up for incontinence can be straight forward or can be complex. Work up involves a thorough history and physical initially. Based on the findings, appropriate labs and imaging are than ordered. Here at Pham Urology work-up and treatments are individualized for each patient. This allows more targeted and better outcomes.