CPD

Identification, assessment and treatment of urinary incontinence and bowel control issues

Ann Yates Director of continence services, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, St David’s Hospital, Cardiff, Wales

Why you should read this article:

• To refresh your knowledge of common urinary incontinence and bowel control issues
• To understand how to undertake a basic urinary and bowel continence assessment and consider treatment options such as lifestyle interventions and medicines
• To contribute towards revalidation as part of your 35 hours of CPD (UK readers)
• To contribute towards your professional development and local registration renewal requirements (non-UK readers)

Urinary incontinence and bowel control issues are prevalent within the general population and have significant adverse effects on peoples’ daily lives and quality of life. This article examines the prevalence of urinary incontinence and bowel control issues and describes some of the more common types of issues. The author explains how to undertake a basic urinary and bowel continence assessment and outlines some of the treatment options, including lifestyle interventions and medicines.

Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2023.e11977

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

Ann.yates@wales.nhs.uk

Conflict of interest

None declared

Yates A (2023) Identification, assessment and treatment of urinary incontinence and bowel control issues. Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2023.e11977

Published online: 16 February 2023

Keywords :

bowel evacuation - clinical - constipation - continence - faecal incontinence - patient assessment - patients - professional - stress incontinence - urge incontinence - urinary incontinence