INSIDIOUS URINARY RETENTION AFTER VAGINAL DELIVERY - PREVALENCE AND SYMPTOMS AT FOLLOW-UP IN A POPULATION-BASED STUDY

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of postpar tum urinary retention in women after vaginal delivery and to determine whether parturients with retention develop voiding problems later. Du ring a 3-month period, all parturients in the catchment area of the Un iversity Hospital, Lund, were investigated 3 days after delivery, resi dual volume being measured by ultrasonography. All those with postpart al retention were contacted 4 years after delivery, when they were ree xamined by ultrasonography and asked to fill in a questionnaire regard ing urinary problems. In all, 539 women were scanned post partum, and 8 (1.5%) had a residual volume exceeding 150 ml (range 156-320 ml). Re tention was more common among primiparae after instrumental delivery o r epidural analgesia. The symptoms were normalized spontaneously withi n a few days in all cases. At follow-up 4 years later, the prevalence of urinary symptoms was not higher than that in the general population . Ultrasonography to detect urinary retention does not seem to have an y place in the normal postpartal care. However, extended supervision m ay be appropriate in parturients receiving epidural analgesia or in th ose submitted to instrumental deliveries.