Attack the Causes Behind Acute Urinary Retention. (Neurologic Exam Critical).

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Attention to the common causes of acute urinary retention often will soon return voiding to normal, Dr. Deborah J. Lightner said at a urogynecology conference sponsored by the Mayo Clinic Scottsdale.

"If the patient was voiding effectively before, then once you get these other things cleared up it is entirely likely" that she will soon be able to void again, said Dr. Lightner of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

For example, critically ill patients who have undergone surgery or trauma may develop acute urinary retention; normal voiding should return as they heal.

It's also very common for delusional patients to develop acute urinary retention; the delusions must resolve before the patient can void normally again.

Mobility restrictions also can cause acute retention; patients won't be able to void spontaneously until they are well enough to ambulate.

In addition, one study of 691 pregnant women who delivered vaginally found that 5% had overt acute urinary retention diagnosed clinically, and 10% had covert retention diagnosed by ultrasound. The covert retention resolved within 4 days postpartum, but the overt retention sometimes took several weeks to resolve.

Finally, many medications can cause acute urinary retention, including sedatives, antipsychotics, ...