Prevalence of postoperative bladder distension and urinary retention detected by ultrasound measurement

Background. Postoperative bladder distension and urinary retention are commonly underestimated. Ultrasound enables accurate measurement of bladder volume and thus makes it possible to determine the prevalence of postoperative bladder distension. Methods. Using ultrasound, we measured the volume of the bladder contents at the time of discharge from the recovery room in 177 adult patients who had undergone thoracic, vascular, abdominal, orthopaedic or ENT surgery. Results. Forty-four per cent of the patients had a bladder volume >500 ml and 54% of the 44%, who had no symptoms of bladder distension, were unable to void spontaneously within 30 min. The risk factors for urinary retention were age >60 yr (odds ratio (OR) 2.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-4.38), spinal anaesthesia (OR 3.97, 95% CI 1.32-11.89) and duration of surgery >120 min (OR 3.03, 95% CI 1.39-6.61). Conclusion. Before discharge from the recovery room it seems worthwhile to systematically check the bladder volume with a portable ultrasound device in patients with risk factors.