Acute Urinary Retention

Acute Urinary Retention

Once you have determined the patient is in retention, catheterize without delay for pain relief.

In This Section

History

Past symptoms of outflow obstruction and its duration.
Any previous episodes of retention/haematuria.

Examination

Presence of palpable bladder.
Rectal examination to assess prostate size and consistency.

Investigations

CBC + diff, Na, K, creatinine, PSA.

Management

Catheterize patient as soon as possible: urine specimen to laboratory.
Record volume drained.
Do not have more than 2 attempts to pass a urethral catheter.
If unsuccessful a supra-pubic catheter may need to be inserted.
If the catheter drains more than 1.5 L, monitor fluid and electrolyte balance.
Send referral to Urology Department for consideration of TURP.


Information about this CDHB document (3717):
Document Owner:	Blue Book Editorial Committee (see Who's Who)
Issue Date:	December 2013
Next Review:	December 2015
Keywords:
Note: Only the electronic version is controlled. Once printed, this is no longer a controlled document.
Send Feedback

Topic Code: 3717