Acute Urinary Retention among Adult Men at Bobo-Dioulasso University Teaching Hospital: Epidemiology, Aetiologies and Initial Management

We conducted a cross-sectional study between February 1st, 2012 and September 30, 2012 at Bobo-Dioulasso University Teaching hospital. The target population was all patients seen at the emergency services for acute urinary retention. Among the 155 patients admitted for urological emergencies, 104 (67.1%) had acute urinary retention. The average age of patients was 65 years, ranging from 23 to 89 years and the majority was more than 60 years old (77.8%) and lived in rural areas (64.4%). Prostate tumor pathology and urethral stricture were the most frequent diagnosis, and the renal function was impaired in 33.7% of cases. Urethrovesical drainage, cystocatheterism, and suprapubic cystostomy were the treatment approach in 56.0%, 28.0% and 15.2% of the cases. Acute urinary retention is the most common urological emergency and many complications are associated with urethrovesical sounding. These complications should therefore be prevented by improving acute urinary care.