Premium
Acute Urinary Retention. Comparison of Suprapubic and Urethral Catheterisation
Author(s) -
HORGAN A. F.,
PRASAD B.,
WALDRON D. J.,
O'SULLIVAN D. C.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
british journal of urology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.773
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1464-410X
pISSN - 0007-1331
DOI - 10.1111/j.1464-410x.1992.tb15693.x
Subject(s) - medicine , urinary retention , urinary system , surgery , catheter
Summary— A total of 86 consecutive patients who presented to the accident and emergency department with acute urinary retention due to prostatomegaly required catheterisation; 56 received suprapubic catheters and 30 were catheterised urethrally. Both groups were followed up for 3 years. Of the 30 patients catheterised urethrally, 12 (40%) developed urinary tract infections compared with 10 (18%) urinary tract infections in the 56 patients catheterised suprapubically. Five patients (17%) in the urethral group developed urethral strictures with no strictures in the suprapubic group. Two patients catheterised urethrally developed epididymo‐orchitis and 1 developed septicaemia. None of the patients with suprapubic catheters developed these complications. Furthermore, 16 patients catheterised suprapubically underwent successful trial clamping of their catheter, whereas 7 patients required recatheterisation following removal of their urethral catheters. We recommend that the use of suprapubic catheters should become the preferred initial treatment for acute urinary retention.