Final answer:
A patient who is incontinent has lost control of their bladder, leading to involuntary urine leakage. This condition, known as urinary incontinence, involves a disruption in the control mechanisms within the urinary system.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a patient is "incontinent," they have lost control of their bladder, which results in the involuntary leakage of urine. This condition, known as urinary incontinence, occurs when there is a failure of nervous control or the anatomical structures necessary for urine storage and release. The urinary system includes the kidneys, which are responsible for filtering waste from the blood and producing urine, as well as the bladder and associated sphincters that control the release of urine.
The process of urination is controlled by both the autonomic and somatic nervous systems. The bladder's detrusor muscle relaxes to accommodate urine as it fills, and the external urethral sphincter, a striated muscle controlled by the somatic nervous system, must relax for urine to exit the body. In patients with urinary incontinence, this coordination is disrupted, leading to difficulty in controlling urination.