UROLOGICAL EMERGENCIES Flashcards
What are the main urological emergencies?
Acute urinary retention
Renal colic
Testicular torsion
Paraphimosis
Priapism
Who is normally affected by acute urinary retention?
Elderly men
What are the four major categories of causes of acute urinary retention?
Obstructive
Inflammatory
Neurological
Over-distension - leading to bladder not contracting properly
What are the obstructive causes of urinary retention?
Mechanical obstruction:
BPH
Urethral stricture
Constipation
Pelvic mass
Dynamic obstruction:
Increase in smooth muscle tone due to postoperative pain and drugs
What are the inflammatory causes of acute urinary retention?
UTI
Prostatitis
What are the neurological causes of acute urinary retention?
Spinal cord injury
Multiple sclerosis
Pelvic surgery
What are some causes of over-distention of the bladder which can lead to the bladder no longer able to contract properly and hence lead to acute urinary retention?
Post-anaesthesia
High alcohol intake
Drugs:
- ephedrine, pseudoephedrine
- Antidepressants
What are the clinical features of acute urinary retention?
Central lower abdominal pain
Anuria
Palpable bladder
How do we treat acute retention?
Urgent urethral catheterisation
What must you do once urethral catheterisation of a patient with acute urinary retention has happened?
Record the urine drained in the first 10-15 minutes
What is the normal volume drained from the bladder through urethral catheterisation following acute urinary retention?
Less than 1 litre
If more than 1 litre is drained from someone with urinary retention, what might this indicated?
More chronic retention
How should you treat a patient with urinary retention in whom urethral catheterisation fails?
Admit urgently for consideration of a suprapubic catheter.
Once a patient who presents with acute urinary retention has been catheterised, what investigations and management should be done for them?
Renal function blood tests
Start alpha blocker
TWOC after 2-3 days of alpha blocker
How should a patient with acute urinary retention who fails a TWOC be managed?
Long-term catheter
OR
Prostatic surgery
What are the features of chronic urinary retention?
Build up of more than 1 litre
Less pain than acute
Nocturnal enuresis
Overflow incontinence
Is chronic or acute urinary retention more likely to cause abnormal renal function?
Chronic - in these cases immediate catheterisation is required
How do we treat chronic urinary retention?
Catheter
TWOC not appropriate management
Should undergo elective prostatic surgery or have long term catheter.
What is renal colic?
Pain caused by kidney stones
What are the clinical features of renal colic?
Severe sudden onset-pain
Starts in the flank
Radiates around the front to the groin and sometimes scrotum or labia
Nausea and vomiting
Visible haematuria
Unable to find a comfortable position and therefore appear restless
Often nil on examination