# Bladder --- The **bladder**, or **urinary bladder** is an [[organ]] in the [[urinary system]] that stores and releases [[urine]], a waste product produced by the kidneys. It is an expandable sac, the walls made up of the unique [[stratified epithelia|transitional epithelium]]. ## Anatomy The bladder is flat and squished down when empty and oval-shaped when full. The special epithelium of the bladder wall allows the constant stretching and compressing. The wall is made up of a special muscle called the **detrusor** muscle, which is made up of three layers. ![[urinary bladder.png]] Urine enters the bladder through the two openings attached to the [[kidneys|ureters]], and it exits through the **urethra**, which is the tube that sends the urine to outside the body. The **trigone** is a triangle-shaped area in the urinary bladder that is the area between the two ureter openings and the urethra. It remains stationary even as the bladder fills and empties, and directs the urine into the opening of the urethra. This area can be prone to infection as it is right by each of the three openings in the bladder. ## Physiology The bladder fills with urine as it drains from the kidneys, and then when it reaches a certain level it sends signals to the brain to initiate the process of emptying it, which is called [[urination]]. ## Bladder Scanner A **bladder scanner** is an imaging tool that can measure how much [[urine]] is currently in the [[bladder]] of a patient. It does not pick up on solid mass, but it will give a false reading if the patient has [[ascites]], or fluid buildup in the abdomen. 1. Have the patient lie supine. 2. Select "woman" for uterus havers, otherwise leave blank. 3. Gently palpate the patient's symphysis pubis (anterior midline junction of pubic bones). Palpation identifies the proper location and allows for correct placement of the scanner head over the patient's bladder. 4. Place a generous amount of ultrasound gel or gel pad midline on the patient's abdomen, about 1 to 1.5 inches above the [[symphysis|pubic symphysis]]. 5. Place the scanner head on the gel or gel pad, with the directional icon on the scanner head toward the patient's head. Aim the scanner head toward the bladder (point the scanner head slightly downward toward the coccyx). Press and release the scan button ## Considerations for the Older Adult Nocturia Increased frequency Urine retention and stasis Voluntary control affected by physical problems ## Problems with the Bladder - **cystitis** is am inflammation of the bladder, usually caused by a [[urinary tract infection]] - [[bladder cancer]] - [[urinary diversion]] is a procedure that can occur after the surgical removal of the bladder ___