FEMALE URINARY RETENTION

Course overview

URINARY RETENTION, OR THE INABILITY TO VOLUNTARILY VOID URINE, IS ONE OF THE MOST PREVALENT PRESENTING UROLOGIC COMPLAINTS IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT. TYPICALLY, IT IS DIAGNOSED WHEN THERE IS A HIGH POST-VOID RESIDUAL VOLUME. POST-VOID RESIDUAL VOLUME MEASUREMENTS ARE USUALLY DONE USING ULTRASOUND AND PROVIDE AN ESTIMATE OF THE AMOUNT OF URINE REMAINING IN THE BLADDER AFTER URINATION. TWO OF THE MOST COMMON CAUSES OF CHRONIC URINARY RETENTION IN WOMEN ARE BLADDER MUSCLE DYSFUNCTION AND OBSTRUCTION. THE CONDITION IS IMPORTANT AS IT CAN LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT CLINICAL PROBLEMS IF LEFT UNTREATED, SUCH AS BLADDER DECOMPENSATION, HYDRONEPHROSIS, RENAL FAILURE, VESICOURETERAL REFLUX, NEPHROLITHIASIS, AND URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS, AS WELL AS SYMPTOMS INCLUDING SUPRAPUBIC PAIN, FEELINGS OF INCOMPLETE EMPTYING, WEAK URINARY STREAM, URGENCY, AND INCONTINENCE. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF URINARY RETENTION IN WOMEN. IT HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN COLLABORATING TO PROVIDE WELL-COORDINATED CARE AND ENHANCE OUTCOMES FOR AFFECTED PATIENTS.