Male Urinary Retention: Acute and Chronic

Excerpt

Urinary retention is the inability to void urine voluntarily, leaving the bladder incompletely empty. Acute urinary retention is the sudden inability to void, usually associated with bloating, severe urgency, general distress, lower abdominal distension, and suprapubic pain. The condition is the most common worldwide urologic emergency, occurring predominantly in men. Acute urinary retention is most commonly secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Acute urinary retention in women is rare, as men are 13 times more likely to develop this problem. (See StatPearls' companion reference, "Female Urinary Retention," for more information.) Chronic urinary retention frequently presents without acute symptoms. The International Continence Society defines chronic urinary retention as a nonpainful bladder that remains palpable after voiding.

Given the multifactorial etiologies, the evaluation and treatment plan for patients with urinary retention may involve concurrent treatment of comorbidities. Determining procedural, pharmacological, or nonpharmacological treatment is up to the treating clinicians and is based on an accurate history and physical exam.