Bladder diary Diary of fluid intake and urine output
It is an essential tool for the diagnosis of urinary symptoms.
(you may download a bladder diary, clicking HERE)
It is a simple, non-invasive, free and extremely informative exam that is performed by the patient himself, representing his daily life. For this reason, the information obtained can never be replaced by any other complementary diagnostic test, including the urodynamic study (being, once again, an essential complement to it).
During a period of three days, considered the ideal duration for a bladder diary, the patient should record the volumes of the fluids ingested and also the volume of each urination (for that purpose, a graduated glass should be used). These volumes are recorded at the time they are ingested or urinated, allowing to obtain information about the capacity of the bladder, feeling of urgency, use of pads (in patients with incontinence), total volume urinated in 24 hours, volume urinated at night (in patients with nocturia), number of incontinence episodes, among other information.
In an era in which the treatment of the patient is required to be as personalized as possible and appropriate to his individual situation, the correct filling of bladder diaries is thus an essential condition for a good diagnosis and therapeutic plan in Functional Urology.