NOCTURIA

Course overview

NOCTURIA IS DEFINED AS THE NEED FOR PATIENTS TO GET UP AT NIGHT ON A REGULAR BASIS TO URINATE. A PERIOD OF SLEEP MUST PRECEDE AND FOLLOW THE URINARY EPISODE FOR IT TO COUNT AS A NOCTURNAL VOID. NOCTURIA IS OFTEN DESCRIBED AS THE MOST BOTHERSOME OF ALL URINARY SYMPTOMS AND IS ALSO ONE OF THE MOST COMMON. NOCTURIA CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH LONG-TERM SLEEP DEPRIVATION, IN ADDITION TO THE INCONVENIENCE THAT IT CAUSES. MANY PATIENTS ARE RELUCTANT TO MENTION NOCTURIA TO THEIR PROVIDERS, OR MISTAKENLY BELIEVE IT IS A NORMAL PART OF AGING. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, EVALUATION, AND MANAGEMENT OF NOCTURIA AND STRESSES THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE CARE OF AFFECTED PATIENTS.