Differential Diagnosis for Urgent Desire to Urinate

• Single most likely diagnosis
  • Urinary Tract Infection (UTI): This is the most common cause of an urgent desire to urinate, especially in women. Bacterial infections lead to inflammation and irritation of the bladder and urethra, causing symptoms like urgency, frequency, and dysuria.
• Other Likely diagnoses
  • Overactive Bladder (OAB): A condition characterized by a sudden, intense urge to urinate, often with frequency and nocturia. It can be due to various factors, including neurological disorders, bladder outlet obstruction, or idiopathic causes.
  • Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH): In men, an enlarged prostate can compress the urethra, leading to urinary urgency, frequency, and difficulty starting urination.
  • Interstitial Cystitis: A chronic condition causing bladder pressure, bladder pain, and sometimes pelvic pain. The symptoms can worsen as the bladder fills and may improve with urination.
• Do Not Miss (ddxs that may not be likely, but would be deadly if missed.)
  • Neurogenic Bladder: Due to a neurological condition (e.g., spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, diabetes) affecting bladder control, leading to urgency, incontinence, or retention.
  • Bladder Cancer: Though less common, it can present with urinary urgency, especially if the tumor is located near the bladder neck or urethra.
  • Kidney Stones: Small stones in the ureters can cause severe pain and an urgent need to urinate.
• Rare diagnoses
  • Diabetic Ketoacidosis: Can lead to polyuria (frequent urination) due to high glucose levels in the urine.
  • Certain Medications: Such as diuretics, which increase urine production and can cause urgency.
  • Neurological Disorders: Like stroke, Parkinson's disease, or multiple system atrophy, which can affect bladder control and lead to urgency.