Urinary incontinence in women: state of the art and medical treatment
Marco Monti, Margherita Fischetti, Giusi Santangelo, Valerio Galli, Francesco Clemente, Andrea Giannini, Valentina Tibaldi, Anna Di Pinto, Francesco Pecorini, Giorgia Perniola, Violante Di Donato, Pierluigi Benedetti Panici
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Urinary incontinence, the involuntary loss of urine, is a common condition that affects approximately 50% of adult women. This condition increases with age, affecting 10% to 20% of all women and up to 77% of elderly women residing in nursing homes.EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Systematic data search performed using PubMed/MEDLINE database up to July 20, 2020. Focus was only for English language publications of original studies on urinary incontinence.EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Given the basis of published evidence and the consensus of European experts, this study provides an updated overview on clinical applications and surgical procedures of urinary incontinence.CONCLUSIONS: Urinary incontinence is an underestimated health problem. Patients need an overview of their health condition through a detailed anamnestic collection and physical examination to identify the type of incontinence and offer the best treatment.