Urinary retention in females – A retrospective study

Sustainable Introduction Urinary retention in females is very uncommon. Careful evaluation including detailed history, physical examination and urodynamics is required to find out any reversible pathology. Surgical treatment in women should be approached with caution as it carries significant risk of injury to sphincter and incontinence and intervention requires an individualized approach based on careful evaluation. Aim of the study: To analyze the causes of urinary retention in female inpatients and outpatients and utilize these results for proper management of urinary retention at an early stage. Materials and Methods: The study was a retrospective study conducted from January 2015 to December 2016 in the Institute of urology, Madras medical college, Chennai. Urinary retention was defined as a difficulty in self-voiding despite a sufficient urine volume or more than 250-mL of post void residual urine. The data included are patients' age, ambulatory status, medical and surgical history, classes of taking drugs, and urinary tract infection and menopausal status. Observations and Results: A total of 234 women were included as retention group with mean age of 59.5 years (41–78years). 190 (81.19%) females were attained menopause. The most common surgical history was cystocoele repair. The patients taking drugs with anti muscarinic effects were 15 (6.41%) and diuretics 32 (13.76%). Urinary tract infection was identified in 97 patients (41.45%). 18 patients were bed ridden. Diabetes mellitus was found in 54 patients (23.07%). Cystocoele was found in 12 patients. Most common benign and malignant tumours observed were urethral caruncle in 12 (5.1%) patients and uterine fibroids in 8 (3.41%) patients and carcinoma cervix in 34 (14.52%) patients and malignant ovarian tumours in 4 (1.70%) patients. Conclusion: Urinary retention in females is much less common in females than in males. It is very important to identify the cause of the retention. The acute emergency can be managed with transurethral or supra pubic catheterization. The cause of the retention determines further specific treatment.