| Frequent Daytime Urination-
Pollakiuria
Case A 4 year old boy is brought in to your office by his mother who is very distressed because her son is urinating very frequently. According to his mother, he urinates every 5-10 minutes. How would you evaluate this patient? Pollakiuria is defined as frequent daytime urination that may occur as often as every 5 minutes, although usually the child urinates 3-4 times/hour. This is a common pediatric complaint and the parents are usually concerned that their child has diabetes mellitus or a UTI. The majority of children are between 4-6 years of age. Pollakiuria is more common than urinary tract infections in children. Symptoms may last for years, but the average length is 7-12 months. Frequent characteristics:
If the evaluation points toward the diagnosis of pollakiuria, the child should be observed and the family must be reassured. If there are obvious stress factors, they should be dealt with. Often, paying less attention to the frequent urination may enhance its disappearance. If symptoms and signs change, further evaluation may be warranted. There is no role for antispasmodics. Reference
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