Urinary incontinence in old age: helping the general practitioner to make a diagnosis.

Since urinary incontinence is one of the major presenting symptoms of illness in old age, all those who deal with this professionally should have a clear plan in mind as to how to proceed with diagnosis and management. Such a plan is outlined here based first of all on history and examination and easily performed tests and followed, if the problem still remains, by an empirical approach based on the major presenting symptom--urge incontinence, stress incontinence or incontinence of which the patient is unaware.