Exams and Tests

The exams and tests for each of these 3 medical problems start the same. The doctor first asks about symptoms, medical and surgical history, medications and habits, such as smoking, drinking caffeine, and exercising.

Women also undergo a physical exam. Depending on symptoms, the physical exam can include a vaginal, pelvic, and rectal exam.

For all 3 conditions, but particularly for urinary tract infection, women are asked to provide a urine sample. Most often, women are asked to provide a "clean catch" sample, which means collecting the urine midstream after cleansing the area around the urethra. The following aspects of the urine are examined:

• Amount and appearance of the urine



• Chemistry of the urine, called a urinalysis (This is the most important test for urinary tract infections.)



• Microscopy of the urine to check for infection or abnormalities



• Culture of the urine (allowing a small amount of urine to sit in a sterile dish for a few days to check for bacteria growth)

Urinary tract infections

In most cases, a urinalysis provides the doctor with all the information needed to treat a urinary tract infection. In some cases, the urine is cultured to see what kind of bacteria grows on it. This information helps the doctor determine what type of antibiotic the infection will respond best to. If a more complicated infection is suspected, such as pyelonephritis or kidney failure, a woman may ask to undergo blood tests.

• Postvoid residual measurements determine how well the bladder is emptied when a woman urinates. This is performed in 2 different ways. A catheter may be inserted into the bladder after a woman urinates to see if any urine remains or ultrasonography may be used to take a picture of the bladder to calculate how much urine remains in the bladder.



• Cotton swab tests check the urethra for hypermobility. Hypermobility occurs in many women with stress incontinence. As a woman lies on the exam table, the doctor inserts a well-lubricated, sterile, cotton-tipped applicator through the urethra into the bladder neck.



• Urodynamic tests check bladder and sphincter muscle strength and function and are often described as an ECG of the bladder. These tests are typically performed in a series and can determine if the bladder fills and empties normally. These tests can also show if the sensation of bladder fullness matches the bladder actually being full.



• Cystoscopy is an outpatient procedure that allows the doctor to see the inside of the bladder by inserting a thin tube into the urethra and up into the bladder. The pictures are viewed on a television screen.

Bladder prolapse

The primary way to diagnose bladder prolapse is through a physical exam of the female genitalia to see if the bladder has entered the vagina, which confirms the diagnosis. Other tests may be performed to determine the grade of bladder prolapse:

• Urodynamic tests check bladder and sphincter muscle strength and function and are often described as an ECG of the bladder. These tests are typically performed in a series and can determine if the bladder fills and empties normally. These tests can also show if the sensation of bladder fullness matches the bladder actually being full.



• Cystoscopy is an outpatient procedure that allows the doctor to see the inside of the bladder by inserting a thin tube into the urethra and up into the bladder. The pictures are viewed on a television screen.



• Voiding cystourethrogram provides the doctor with a view of how the urinary anatomy functions with a series of x-ray films taken while a woman urinates.



• X-ray films of other parts of the abdomen may be taken to rule out other causes of symptoms.