Urethrometry is a procedure that can be used in medicine during urological examinations. It has two main purposes: First, urethrometry measures the pressure inside the urinary bladder; second, it can be used, for example, to help treat narrowing of the urethra. Increased bladder pressure may appear, for example, in connection with an acquired urinary bladder diverticulum.
What is urethrometry?
Urethrometry is a diagnostic procedure that can be used by medical specialties such as urology. The purpose of the test is to gain a better understanding of the patient’s physical condition and to specifically determine the internal pressure of the urinary bladder. In addition, urethrometry can contribute to pressure relief. For urethrometry, a physician or other professional inserts a thin pressure probe into the urethra and can thereby mechanically dilate the urinary tract. Doctors can draw conclusions from the measurement of bladder pressure, which can be very important in making a correct diagnosis as well as any subsequent treatment. However, not every urological symptomatology necessitates urethrometry; only the treating physician can decide to what extent the use of the medical procedure is useful.
Function, effect, and goals
Urethrometry measures the internal pressure of the bladder by having the examiner insert a probe into the urethra. Because of this dual function, it is not only used in diagnostics; in some circumstances, it is also used in the treatment of specific diseases of the genitourinary tract. This may be the case, for example, in urethral stricture. This is a narrowing of the urethra that may cause abnormalities when emptying the bladder: Urine does not leave the bladder in a relatively straight stream, but takes on a fan-like shape. Other phenomena that may also indicate urethral stricture include a thin, twisted, or weak urine stream. Urethrometry belongs largely to the field of urology. Urology is a branch of medicine that deals with ailments of the urethra, kidneys and male genitals. A sub-discipline of urology is urogynecology, which focuses more on women and their complaints that may arise due to the peculiarities of the female body. Hormonal, anatomical and functional differences often result in divergent diagnostic and treatment options for men and women. Physicians who wish to specialize in these areas can obtain a corresponding specialist title. The prerequisite for this is a degree in human medicine and participation in a corresponding specialist training program, which usually consists of theoretical and practical parts. Usually, physicians are already professionally active during their specialist training.
Risks, side effects, and hazards
Diseases that fall within the scope of urology include infections of the urethra. Infections of the urethra, or urinary tract, are common conditions that urology deals with and for which physicians may consider using urethrometry. Severity, type of infection, other available information, and other factors generally enter into the decision. Infections of the urethra, for example, may be due to bacterial infections and may occur in isolation or in the setting of other diseases or may present after such underlying diseases. These infections can be reflected in a variety of different symptoms, not all of which need to be present at the same time. Possible symptoms that may occur include frequent urination, which may be accompanied by a burning or aching sensation; increased urination, although only a small amount of urine is let out when going to the toilet; and general symptoms such as aching limbs, other aches, and fever. Treatment of the urinary tract infection may include antibiotics if the cause of the condition supports this medication. Antibiotics are drugs that act against bacterial pathogens of diseases. Their application is carried out with the aim of eliminating the harmful bacterium as accurately as possible and sparing other bacteria.Since there are numerous bacteria in the human body that are harmless or even play an important role for the organism, this point is of great importance. Drugs that are used specifically for urological diseases are called urological drugs. In the case of urinary tract infections, the drug methionine or nitrofurantion (furadoxyl) may be used. In some cases, negative side effects or complications can occur with urethrometry. One conceivable source of discomfort is mechanical injury to the urethra when a catheter is inserted. More common side effects of such a catheter or a corresponding measuring probe for urethrometry include pain or patients may find the examination uncomfortable without exceeding the pain threshold; this depends on the individual patient. Urethrometry with a probe that is not properly disinfected or sterile could possibly cause infection and lead to cystitis, for example.
