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GERICLINICS

Clinical case · Urinary incontinence

Not reaching the toilet in time

An 80-year-old woman has started leaking urine on the way to the toilet. Classify her incontinence, find the reversible causes — including a prescribing cascade — and start first-line treatment.

Intermediate 15 minNeeds clinical review

You will learn to

  • Classify incontinence with two simple questions, a bladder diary and examination
  • Look beyond the bladder for reversible causes, including medicines, fluids, constipation and mobility
  • Use conservative first-line treatment and choose drug treatment with cognition in mind

Presentation

Step 1 of 10

An 80-year-old woman says that for the past three months she has been "wetting myself before I get to the toilet". She now wears pads and has stopped going to her weekly lunch club.

"I'm so embarrassed. I didn't want to tell anyone."

References

  1. EAU Guidelines on Non-neurogenic Female LUTS. Edition presented at the EAU Annual Congress, London 2026. Arnhem: EAU Guidelines Office; 2026. link
  2. Integrated care for older people: guidelines on community-level interventions to manage declines in intrinsic capacity. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2017. link

Last updated 2026-10-21.

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