Acute urinary retention: patient investigations and treatments

Abstract

Acute urinary retention (AUR) is the sudden inability to pass urine. AUR is more common in men and older men are at highest risk. The most common causes are obstructive in nature—prostatic hyperplasia is responsible for more than half the cases of AUR in men. AUR can also be caused by infection, inflammation, and by iatrogenic and neurological problems. This article outlines how AUR is diagnosed and treated.