Turkish Journal of Geriatrics 2012 , Vol 15, Issue 4
UROLOGIC PROBLEMS IN THE ELDERLY POPULATION
Yavuz Ramazan AKMAN2, Murad Mehmet BAÅžAR1
1Memorial ÅžiÅŸli Hastanesi Ãœroloji, Ä°STANBUL
2Başkent Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi İstanbul Hastanesi Üroloji Bölümü, İSTANBUL
Urological problems are observed commonly in elderly people, and taking care of geriatric patients represents a large portion of the daily routine in the practice of an urologist. Urinary incontinence and voiding dysfunction, nocturia, benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostate cancer, urinary tract infections and late on-set hypogonadism are the most common urologic problems seen in the geriatric age group. Most of these conditions are managed by medications that can affect cognitive functions, blood pressure, heart rate and rhytm, as well as balance, and these medications may interact with the other medications used daily for other conditions. Urinary pathologic conditions, such as incontinence and nocturia, can lead to significant morbidity in the frail elderly, often leading to falls and hip fractures. Surgical intervention is common for urologic diseases, especially for prostatic conditions, but must be carefully evaluated before initiation in geriatric patients. Keywords : Urinary Incontinence; Nocturia; Prostate; Urinary Tract Infection; Aged