Prevention of urinary retention after general surgery: a controlled trial of carbachol/diazepam versus alfusozine.
BACKGROUND
Postoperative urinary retention is a common complication after surgical procedures. It can cause bladder dilatation, infection, and even sepsis. Carbachol/diazepam and alfusozine have been reported to lower the incidence of postoperative urinary retention, but no study showed the benefits of these drugs in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.


METHODS
We used a double blind, placebo-controlled trial in which 249 patients with postoperative urinary retention were randomly assigned to receive carbachol/diazepam (n = 72), alfusozine (n = 82), or placebo (n = 95). The primary endpoint was miction within 2 hours after taking the medication.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference in miction frequency after taking the medication among the three groups (p = 0.31). The miction rate was 60% for patients in the alfusozine group, 61% in the carbachol/diazepam group, and 51% in the placebo group.


CONCLUSIONS
Alfusozine and carbachol/diazepam had no apparent benefit on the incidence of postoperative urinary retention.
Burger
D H
DH
Department of Surgery, Rode Kruis Ziekenhuis, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Kappetein
A P
AP
Boutkan
H
H
Breslau
P J
PJ
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000368:Aged; D002217:Carbachol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003975:Diazepam / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009125:Muscle Relaxants, Central / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010277:Parasympathomimetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011799:Quinazolines; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016055:Urinary Retention / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014554:Urination / Q000187:drug effects*
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D009125:Muscle Relaxants, Central; D010277:Parasympathomimetics; D011799:Quinazolines; D002217:Carbachol; C047638:alfuzosin; D003975:Diazepam