Abstract

Urinary incontinence affects around 3.5 million people of all ages in the UK.1^,2 For many, incontinence severely restricts their routine activities and damages their quality of life and self-esteem. In about one-third of women sufferers, and around a half of all men with incontinence, the cause is detrusor instability.2^,3 This condition is characterised by involuntary bladder contractions or pressure rises during bladder filling, which result in a strong or uncontrollable urge to pass urine and, often, incontinence.4 Here, we consider a primary care-based approach to managing urinary incontinence in adults, concentrating on the medical management of detrusor instability.