Urinary Retention (Ischuria): Symptoms, Complaints, Signs

The following symptoms and complaints may indicate ischuria (urinary retention):

Leading symptoms

  • Severe lower abdominal pain
  • Palpable lower abdominal tumor
  • Overflow bladder (symptom: Urinary dribbling; in the case of the overflow bladder, urinary retention has led to overdistension of the urinary bladder, which in turn has led to the failure of the sphincter) → backflow of urine via the ureters (ureters) into the kidneys (with the risk of increasing renal insufficiency (kidney weakness) to uremia (terminal renal insufficiency/acute renal failure, ANV); the overflow bladder is to be distinguished differentialdiagnostically from urinary incontinence as a cause of urine dribbling when the bladder is almost empty.

Note

  • Chronic ischuria causes few symptoms. It may be detected on palpation (palpation) of the abdomen (abdomen).

Caveat (Warning!) A large urinary bladder with chronic urinary retention must be drained in a controlled manner via a catheter, otherwise bleeding and renal complications may occur.

Warning signs (red flags)

  • Anamnestic information:
    • Disc prolapse (herniated disc) → think of: Spinal cord compression
  • Suddenly breaking off urine stream + severe pain in the bladder + discharge of a few drops of blood → think of: Urethral stone (urethral stone).