How to Monitor Pediatric Bladder Pressure

The bladder is a stretchy, muscular organ that functions to store or empty urine. Infants or children with bladder disorders, neurological conditions or bed wetting issues may benefit from pediatric bladder pressure monitoring. While bladder control problems do not always indicate a serious medical condition, several bladder pressure monitoring devices can help determine the cause of abnormal bladder function. Parents or caregivers should consult a pediatrician or pediatric urologist before choosing a pediatric bladder pressure monitor.

Instructions

Monitoring Pediatric Bladder Pressure

• 1

  Purchase an in-home bladder pressure monitoring device. A pressure gauge uses clean intermittent catheterization to measure bladder pressure before and after voiding. According to urology experts at Loyola University Medical Center in Illinois, in-home bladder pressure monitoring is an accurate and inexpensive way to frequently identify pediatric bladder pressure.

• 2

  Make an appointment with a pediatric urologist for biofeedback. Video games often fascinate children, and biofeedback therapy uses a computerized game to teach children how to relax pelvic floor muscles used for urination. Electrodes on the child's hips and buttocks respond when the bladder is full and after the child voids. Biofeedback monitors changes in bladder pressure to help children improve bladder control.

• 3

  Request a urodynamics test. During this procedure, the patient voids completely and receives a local anesthetic. The procedure allows the urologist to monitor bladder pressure when a catheter fills the empty bladder with saltwater. Finally, a computer records changes in pressure as the child urinates so the doctor can observe how the bladder fills and empties in accordance with the nervous system.