elimination

urinary retention

incomplete emptying of the bladder after urination or a complete inability to urinate

due to nervous system malfunction or mechanical change in the shape of the bladder

UTI

general term for an infection in the urinary system, causing elimination problems

cystitis

inflammation of the bladder

urinary diversion

diverting the ureters to a urinary stoma on the skin. used in the cases of a cystectomy, bladder cancer, neurogenic bladder, trauma to the bladder

nephrostomy

small tubes are tunneled through the skin into the renal pelvis to drain it when the ureter is obstructed

polydipsia

excessive thirst

polyphagia

excessive hunger

polyuria

multiple episodes of urination, as with diabetes

urinary frequency

multiple episodes of urination with little urine produced in a short period of time

urgency

strong, hard-to-control need to empty bladder immediately

dysuria

painful urination

stress incontinence

light urine leaking with physical movement (cough, laugh, sneeze), especially in pregnant women or those who have given birth

urge incontinence

leakage of large amounts of urine at unexpected times, including during sleep

reflex incontinence

the bladder empties unexpectedly due to muscle spasm or nervous system damage

functional incontinence

untimely urination because of physical disability, external obstacles, or cognitive problems that prevent person form reaching toilet

nocturia

waking up multiple times in the night to urinate

enuresis

bedwetting

hematuria

RBCs in the urine, can be gross (pink/red urine) or microscopic (RBCs only visible under a microscope)

impaction

chronic constipation leads to hard stool in the rectum that a person cannot pass- requires medical intervention

rectal prolapse

the rectum falls into/through the anus due to weak pelvic floor muscles, excessive straining during BMs, and is most common among children and elderly

sphincter

ring-shaped muscle that contracts and relaxes to close and open body passages to regulate the flow of substances. can be voluntary and involuntary

encopresis

when a child 4+ repeatedly passes stool into clothing, usually due to chronic constipation and soft stool leaking around the blockage

urethra

tube through which urine travels from the bladder and out the body

incontinent

loss of control of urine/bowel elimination due to undeveloped elimination mechanisms, malfunctions, impaired cognition, etc leads to undesired outcomes including skin breakdown, embarrassment, etc

rectum

last few inches of the large intestine where stool is stored before exiting the body

anus

opening of the large intestine through which stool exits the body

lithotripsy

noninvasive solution to renal calculi which uses sound wave technology to break the stones into easily passable fragments

costovertebral angle

angle formed along the back by the spine and twelfth rib where we assess for tenderness of the kidneys by percussing

glomerulus

a cluster of capillaries in the kidney in which the urine formation process begins by filtering blood through a semipermeable membrane into the Bowman capsule

urethral stricture

narrowing of the urethra due to scar tissue or inflammation that leads to urinary hesitancy

urethritis

inflammation of the urethra caused by bacterial infections, STIs, or physical injury

urosepsis

when a UTI spreads to the kidneys and into the bloodstream, causing sepsis