Overactive Bladder: What You Need to Know Whiteboard Animation Transcript with Shawna Johnston, MD and Emily Stern, MD

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Obstetrics and Gynecology – Overactive Bladder: What You Need to Know Whiteboard Animation Transcript with Shawna Johnston, MD and Emily Stern, MD

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a symptom-based disease state, which includes urinary frequency, nocturia, and urgency, with or without urgency incontinence.

Symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI) are similar but additionally include dysuria (painful voiding) and hematuria.

OAB tends to be a chronic progressive condition, while UTI symptoms are acute and may be associated with fever and malaise.

In patients whose symptoms are unclear, urinalysis and urine culture may help rule out infection.

If symptoms point to OAB, you should rule out:

1. Neurological disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, dementia, parkinson’s disease, and stroke. 2. Medical disorders such as diabetes, and 3. Prolapse, as women with obstructed voiding, usually from advanced prolapse, can have symptoms that mimic those of OAB.

It is important to delineate how OAB symptoms affect a patient’s quality of life. Women with OAB are often socially isolated and sleep poorly.

On history, pay attention to lifestyle factors such as caffeine and fluid intake, environmental triggers, and medications that may worsen symptoms like diuretics.

Cognitive impairment and diabetes can influence OAB symptoms.

Estrogen deﬁciency worsens OAB symptoms, so menopausal status and hormone use are important to note.

Physical exam includes a screening sacral neurologic exam, an assessment for pelvic organ prolapse and a cough stress test to rule out stress urinary incontinence.

On pelvic exam, look for signs of estrogen deﬁciency.

Investigations include urinalysis, urine culture, and a post-void residual volume measurement. If warranted, a urine cytology to rule out bladder cancer can be obtained.

1 As with stress incontinence, the FRED mnemonic provides a helpful initial management approach:

1. Fluid Restriction; 2. Pelvic floor Exercises; 3. and Bladder Drill or (timed bladder emptying).

The mainstay of therapy for overactive bladder is pharmacologic. If there is vaginal atrophy, vaginal estrogen may help. Anti-muscarinic agents block parsympathetic bladder contraction. Beta-3 agonist agents inhibit bladder contraction. If lifestyle and medication do not help, referral to a specialist may be needed.