(306) Postoperative Urinary Retention: Risk Assessment, Diagnosis and Management

Postoperative urinary retention (POUR), the inability to urinate despite having a full bladder, affects occurs in 5% to 70% of patients undergoing surgery. This lecture will begin with a focused review of incomplete bladder emptying versus urinary retention, followed by a discussion of risk factors for POUR, its assessment and options for management. Emphasis will be placed on options for managing POUR other than indwelling catheterization, and the role of the WOC or Continence nurse specialist in ensuring patients who experience POUR receive the essential follow-up care designed at restoring optimal lower urinary tract function.