Female Urinary Retention – Observations from a Retrospective Case Note Review

Background and ObjectiveThere are no current guidelines to manage female retention patients. We aimed to see if a standardized approach could be used to manage these patients. MethodsBetween October 2014 and September 2016, all female patients with urinary retention admitted under a urology consultant were reviewed. ResultsA total of 46 females had a single episode of urinary retention whilst 19 females had recurrent episodes. The commonest cause for a single episode of retention was attributed to anesthesia (general/spinal) (n=9), constipation (n=9) and medication use (n=4). Most of these women (95%) voided on the first attempt fol-lowing catheter removal. In the absence of any neurological symptoms, pelvic ultrasound was the only investigation that revealed any underlying pathology in female retention patients. A pelvic mass was identi-fied in 3 (4.5%) patients. ConclusionFemales with an isolated episode of retention, with an obvious precipitating cause identified during full history and examination, could proceed directly to a nurse-led trial of catheter removal without the need for any further urology review. Others should undergo a pelvic ultrasound and review by a urologist. In our opinion, females with recurrent unexplained episodes of urinary retention should be referred for a trial of sacral neuromodulation if considered appropriate.