SHBC1274

P.P.TAY¹, W.M.L. TAN¹

Khoo Teck Puat Hospital¹

Urinary incontinence (UI) in elderly is an underdiagnosed and underreported condition in the inpatient setting. It can significantly impact the quality of life and dignity of the elderly. The aim of this study is to understand the prevalence of UI in the inpatient setting and to detect any potential influential factors.

The subjects recruited are elderly patients >78 years old who were admitted to an acute geriatric ward. The prevalence of UI was calculated and logistic regression performed to determine the risk factors for UI.

The data of 55 subjects [mean age 85,2±5.0 years] recruited were analysed. The prevalence of UI in the elderly in this study is 45% and among them 24% did not return to their premorbid continence state. About 43% of the subjects had post-void residual urine (PVRU) volumes of >150ml, of which 17% of them required insertion of an indwelling catheter. Only 67% of them were successfully trialed off catheter within the same admission. Regression analysis supports the association of the following factors: diabetes mellitus (p<0.01), urinary tract infection (p<0.01) and constipation (p<0.01). Surprisingly, the regression result did not detect significant association for other factors such as age, gender, frailty, stroke, hypertension and cognitive impairment.

Given the high prevalence of UI in the inpatient setting, more attention should be paid to it. A proactive approach should be taken to tackle this issue so that UI can be addressed and managed early and effectively.