A 61-year-old woman who has had an upper respiratory infection for several weeks has presented to her family physician with complaints of a recent onset of urinary retention

Question

She reveals to her physician that she has been taking nonprescription cold medications over and above the suggested dose for the past 2 weeks. Which of the following phenomena will her physician most likely suspect is contributing to her urinary retention?
A)
Cholinergic actions of the cold medicine are triggering internal and external sphincter contraction.
B)
Antihistamine effects inhibit communication between the pons and the thoracolumbar cord.
C)
The anticholinergic effects of the medication are impairing normal bladder function.
D)
Over-the-counter medications such as cold medicine stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and inhibit bladder emptying.

Answer 1

Ans:
C

Feedback:

Many over-the-counter cold medications have an anticholinergic effect that interferes with normal bladder emptying. These effects on micturition are not a result of cholinergic actions or miscommunication between the pontine micturition center and the spinal cord. Stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system would tend to increase rather than decrease bladder emptying.