Enuresis, commonly referred to as bedwetting, is the involuntary release of urine during sleep in children over 5 years of age. ‘Enuresis’ is reserved for nighttime wetting, while daytime wetting is classified separately as urinary incontinence. Enuresis can be further categorised as primary, where the child has never achieved a prolonged dry period, and secondary, where bedwetting recurs after at least 6 months of dryness.
The condition affects up to 10% of 5-year-olds and tends to decrease with age, with only about 1% of those aged 15 and older still affected. Boys are twice as likely to experience enuresis compared to girls. Emotional support and a non-punitive approach from parents/carers are essential, as bedwetting can affect self-esteem and psychological wellbeing.
Enuresis involves a discrepancy between nocturnal urine production and functional bladder capacity, coupled with an inability to wake from sleep when the bladder is full. Additional aetiological factors include nocturnal polyuria (such as from lack of nocturnal antidiuretic hormone secretion), abnormally reduced bladder capacity, and sleep arousal disorders.
Risk factors for enuresis include:
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Maecenas eu odio in nibh placerat tempor ac vel mauris. Nunc efficitur sapien at nisl semper dapibus. Nullam tempor eros sed dui aliquam lacinia. Nunc feugiat facilisis ex.
Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia curae; Maecenas mauris nibh, tempus sit amet erat vel, pellentesque maximus ipsum. Suspendisse dui nunc, porta ac ultricies id, sodales eu ante.
The Medcast medical education team is a group of highly experienced, practicing GPs, health professionals and medical writers.
Become a member and get unlimited access to 100s of hours of premium education.
Learn moreHealth assessments (HAs) are one of the best tools in general practice for proactive, planned care and coordination of multidisciplinary involvement but are often under-utilised. This FastTrack focuses on commonly used MBS health assessment items (701–707, 715, 699, 695), with tips to maximise both patient outcomes and practice efficiency.
Obstructive sleep apnoea is a prevalent condition associated with significant comorbidities. Discover what you should know about identifying and managing this condition in primary practice with the clinical fact sheet summary. 30mins each of RP and EA CPD are available with completion of the quiz.
Pain, dyspnoea, and noisy respiratory secretions (also known as the ‘death rattle’) are common symptoms in patients in terminal care. This FastTrack covers the assessment and management of such terminal symptoms in primary care, including pharmacological and non-drug solutions. 30mins each of RP and EA CPD available with the quiz.