Diagnostic Ultrasound Corporation Introduces a New Urological Manual for the Primary Care Physician

PREVIEWS IN UROLOGY Diagnostic Ultrasound Corporation Introduces a New Urological Manual for the Primary Care Physician U rologists now have a practical tool to recommend for primary care physicians seeking information about treatment of common urological conditions. Diagnostic Ultrasound, long committed to helping the practicing urologist provide better patient care, has broadened its educational scope to include primary care physicians. The company, maker of the BladderScan, has published a clinical education procedures manual to help primary care providers treat patients with common urological problems and instruct them in the use of the BladderScan. The manual will help urologists in their quest to support and educate primary care physicians with the most current, accurate information. The manual serves as a practical guide to bladder outlet obstruction (BOO), lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), urinary tract infections (UTI), lower abdominal/pelvic pain, urinary retention, and overactive bladder. “The manual will help patients get the care they need at the first physician encounter, which is usually the primary care practitioner. The manual will also help a primary care physician know when to refer a patient to a urologist for specialized care when it’s needed. The more educated primary care physicians are, the more appropriate the referral to the urologist will be," said Richard Pelman, MD, the urologist who wrote the manual. Pelman, a practicing urologist at Bellevue Urology Associates, Bellevue, WA is Clinical Professor of Urology in the University of Washington School of Medicine and immediate Past President of the Washington State Urology Society. Since 1984, the BladderScan has served urologists by providing the information necessary for a correct diagnosis and treatment plan. The instrument uses noninvasive ultrasound technology to reveal rapidly and accurately the amount of urine in the bladder. It helps prevent unnecessary catheterization, reduces UTIs, and the use of antibiotics for subsequent infections. Until recently there hasn’t been a need for primary care physicians to familiarize themselves with treatment options for urological conditions, or to rely on the BladderScan. Formerly, primary care physicians simply referred patients to a specialist when a patient presented with a urological problem. All of this changed in 1994 with the introduction of terazosin, dexazosin, and finasteride, and other medications that followed, such as tamsulosin. Primary care physicians are now on the front lines to treat these conditions. Urologists are a major source of information and guidance for primary care physicians, whose role has greatly expanded in providing care to patients with these conditions. The BladderScan, which is portable and easy to use, can give physicians objective measurements of bladder volumes in under 10 seconds. Because the BladderScan can provide a true picture of the bladder’s contents, it reduces unnecessary catheterization and preserves the dignity of patients, as well as eliminating the attendant problems caused by catheterization. Diagnostic Ultrasound Corporation is a rapidly growing maker and supplier of ultrasonic-based medical instruments. The company serves customers through its own sales organization in the United States and an international distributor network covering more than 30 companies worldwide. To order a copy of the manual or to find out more about the BladderScan, go to Diagnostic Ultrasound’s website, www.dxu.com or contact the company toll-free at 1-800-331-2313 or by fax at 425-883-2896. Previews in Urology highlights topics of interest to urologists through the points of view of the companies that sponsor publication of this journal; the material has not been reviewed by the Medical and Contributing Editors.