Resources

Eighty percent of men diagnosed with prostate cancer will end up with erectile dysfunction after treatment (Downing et al, 2019). Yet, talking about sex, treating erectile dysfunction, and meeting the man’s needs after treatment is often lower down on the healthcare professional’s agenda. Prostate Cancer UK found that sex and erectile dysfunction is the biggest unmet need for men with prostate cancer.

Covid-19 has rapidly altered service provision and specialist professionals working across different geographical areas have not yet had sufficient opportunity to come together in person and process what these changes mean for their practice and patients. This upheaval has, of course, affected everyone whose work touches on bladder and bowel issues.

This article, the second in a two-part series, discusses conservative treatments for urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, which should be considered as first-line options where possible. 

Last year, as part of continence awareness week, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trusts adult continence team launched their ‘taste the difference challenge’. The team worked collaboratively with ward staff and housekeepers in Leicester’s Hospitals, to promote and offer decaffeinated tea and coffee to inpatients across the trust.

In this article, the first in a new regional series, Ann Yates examines how the initial NHS was set up, how devolution in Wales has changed how services in Wales are commissioned and how this has impacted on continence/bladder/bowel care in Wales.

Fluid balance monitoring in health and social care has been a routine monitoring tool carried out by nursing staff for many decades. This article looks at the variety in terminology and practice, discusses the importance of maintaining accurate monitoring, and the essential components of a useful monitoring tool. It also identifies some of the challenges faced in maintaining effective monitoring of fluid balance with suggestions for improving practice.

Indwelling urinary catheters remain one of the most used clinically invasive devices in the UK, with approximately 90,000 people living in community settings in England currently using long-term urinary catheters. Use of a catheter valve system may improve the chance of normal bladder function resuming following the removal of the catheter. This article explores some of the clinical evidence supporting the use of catheter valves and advice on best practice.

Urinary tract infections are the second most common infection after chest infections. Here, The Urology Foundation highlights how they champion the nurses working in urology who go above and beyond to improve their patients’ treatment and care, and how one nurse transformed practice in the field of urinary catheters.