This Publication Is Searchable The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy Section 17. Genitourinary Disorders Chapter 215. The involuntary leakage of urine.
Urinary incontinence is abnormal regardless of age, mobility, mental status, or frailty.
Incontinence remains largely a neglected problem despite the fact that it is highly treatable and often curable. Continence requires integrity of lower urinary tract function as well as adequate mentation, mobility, motivation, and manual dexterity. With age, bladder capacity, the ability to postpone voiding, and the urinary flow rate decline, and uninhibited bladder contractions become more prevalent. Daily ingested fluid is excreted later in the day, into the night. These changes enhance the likelihood of incontinence in an older person but alone do not cause it.