Word parts
What it means
The urinary bladder collects urine from the kidneys through the two ureters and holds it until urination, when its muscle wall contracts and urine leaves through the urethrayoo-REE-thruhThe tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body.Full entry . An adult bladder usually holds about 400 to 600 mL; the urge to urinate starts well before it is full. (The gallbladder is a different organ, which stores bile.)
For the nurse
A bladder scanner (a small ultrasound) measures how much urine is in the bladder, such as after a client urinates or when urinary retentionYUR-ih-nair-ee rih-TEN-shunBeing unable to empty the bladder completely, or at all.Full entry is suspected. A full bladder can be felt as a firm bulge above the pubic bone; it can cause restlessness, and after childbirth it can stop the uterus from contracting well.
At a glance
| Spanish | vejiga |
|---|---|
| Also written | bladders, urinary bladder |
Related terms
urinary tract infection
An infection anywhere in the urinary tract: the kidneys, ureters, bladder or urethra.
incontinence
Loss of control over the bladder or bowel, so urine or stool leaks out without the person meaning it to.
urinary retention
Being unable to empty the bladder completely, or at all.
urethra
The tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body.