DOI: 10.36347/sasjm.2016.v02i06.005

Pages: Page: 147-151

Urinary retention is a global health problem especially in the aged males due to cancer of the prostate (Cap) benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and to a lesser extent Urethral Stricture. It results in poor quality of life, severe morbidity and mortality. Acute urinary retention (AUR) and acute on chronic urinary retention are usually painful while chronic urinary retention (CUR) is usually painless. These are usually preceded by lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). We studied forty (40) male patients with a mean age of 62.93+12.323 years (range 22-91 years) who presented in accident and emergency department (95%) and surgical outpatient department (5%) in urinary retention between January and March 2016. Mean volume of urine drained was 1,270.0+555.139mls (range 500 – 2000mls) and a mean duration of LUTS of 27.537+30.004 months (range 0.3 – 132 months). BPH patients were more in number 22(55.0%). Urethral catheterization was done for 65% of the patients and 35% had suprapubic cystostomy (SPC) for failed urethral catheterization. Post obstructive complications were haematuria in < 1% and diuresis in ~1.5% of patients. These complications were recognized and dealt with. Awareness campaign to populations at risk of urinary retention from these and other causes should be done to checkmate this damaging health problem