Clinical signs of Urinary Retention

Urinary retention is a buildup of urine in the bladder due to the inability of the bladder to empty the bladder.

The main symptoms of acute urinary retention is no urine output for several hours and there is a distended bladder. Clients who are under the influence of anesthetics or analgesics may only feel pressure, but clients are aware of the great pain due to bladder distension beyond its normal capacity. In severe urinary retention, bladder can hold 2000 to 3000 ml of urine. Retention caused by urethral obstruction, trauma surgery, changes sensory and motor nerve stimulation of the bladder, side effects of medication and anxiety.

Clinical Signs of Urinary Retention:

• Inconvenience for the pubic area.
• Distended bladder.
• Inability to urinate.
• Frequent urination when the bladder contains little urine (25-50ml).
• The imbalance in the amount of urine output and intake.
• Increasing concerns and the desire to urinate.
• The presence of urine in the bladder 3000-4000ml.

Urinary retention can cause an infection that can result from excessive bladder distension, impaired blood supply to the bladder wall and the proliferation of bacteria. Impaired renal function may also occur, especially when there is obstruction of the urinary tract.

Care Plan Nursing Read more »

Urinary Retention

Urinary retention is the inability to empty the bladder. With chronic urinary retention, you may be able to urinate, but you have trouble starting a stream or emptying your bladder completely. You may urinate frequently; you may feel an urgent need to urinate but have little success when you get to the toilet; or you may feel you still have to go after you've finished urinating. With acute urinary retention, you can't urinate at all, even though you have a full bladder. Acute urinary retention is a medical emergency requiring prompt action. Chronic urinary retention may not seem life threatening, but it can lead to serious problems and should also receive attention from a health professional.

Male and female urinary tracts.
Anyone can experience urinary retention, but it is most common in men in their fifties and sixties because of prostate enlargement. A woman may experience urinary retention if her bladder sags or moves out of the normal position, a condition called cystocele. The bladder can also sag or be pulled out of position by a sagging of the lower part of the colon, a condition called rectocele. Some people have urinary retention from rectoceles. People of all ages and both sexes can have nerve disease or nerve damage that interferes with bladder function.
Source : http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/UrinaryRetention/ 


NURSING DIAGNOSIS: Urinary retention

Related to:

1. stasis of urine in the kidney and bladder associated with prolonged horizontal positioning;
2. difficulty urinating associated with anxiety regarding use of bedpan or urinal;
3. incomplete bladder emptying associated with:
   • horizontal positioning (the gravity needed for complete bladder emptying is lost)
   • decreased bladder muscle tone resulting from the generalized loss of muscle tone that occurs with prolonged immobility.

Desired Outcome
The client will not experience urinary retention as evidenced by:

• voiding at normal intervals
• no reports of bladder fullness and suprapubic discomfort
• absence of bladder distention and dribbling of urine
• balanced intake and output.

Care Plan Nursing Read more »