Investigation of Bladder Problems

Sunday, 01 May 2005 12:09
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Initially, a urinalysis is likely to be performed: testing the urine for the presence of blood (haematuria), protein (proteinuria), glucose (glucosuria) concentration (specific gravity) and acidity/alkalinity(pH).

This will detect or exclude conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease (nephrosis) and infection.

A mid-stream urine sample (MSU) is usually collected and tested for presence of bacteria: a process which involves microscopy and then culturing of bacteria to determine their identity in order to best treat with appropriate antibiotics.

For problems with continence, generally specific tests need to be carried out. These are called urodynamics and are aimed at establishing the type of continence problems that are occurring.

These tests usually comprise: