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 MEASUREMENT IS USUALLY DONE USING ULTRASOUND AND PROVIDES AN ESTIMATE OF THE AMOUNT OF URINE REMAINING IN THE BLADDER AFTER URINATING. TWO OF THE MOST COMMON CAUSES OF CHRONIC URINARY RETENTION IN WOMEN ARE BLADDER MUSCLE DYSFUNCTION AND OBSTRUCTION. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF URINARY RETENTION IN FEMALES AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN COLLABORATING TO PROVIDE WELL-COORDINATED CARE AND ENHANCE OUTCOMES FOR AFFECTED PATIENTS.