title: Post-voiding residual volume in 154 primiparae 3 days after vaginal delivery under epidural anesthesia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To use 3-dimensional ultrasonography (3D-US) to determine the frequency of post-voiding residual volume (PVRV) > or =100 mL in primiparae 3 days after receiving epidural anesthesia for vaginal delivery. Potential relationships between day-3 PVRV > or =100 mL and obstetrical-pediatric parameters, especially those possibly implicated in post-obstetrical bladder dysfunction, were examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 154 primiparae who vaginally delivered term singletons following uncomplicated pregnancies in the maternity unit of a French teaching hospital. All women had been systematically catheterized 2-h postpartum to measure precisely the volume of urine retained. On the morning of discharge (day 3), when the patient felt the urge to urinate, her 3D-US pre-voiding bladder volume was determined with BladderScan (BVI-3000), then her spontaneously voided urine was collected to accurately quantify its volume and 3D-US was repeated immediately to evaluate the PVRV. PVRV > or =100 mL on day 3 was considered pathological.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among these 154 women, 88 (57%) felt the need to urinate and 97 (63%) had a retained volume > or =500 mL at 2-h postpartum. On day-3 postpartum, the median [range] volumes for the entire cohort were: 426.7 [158-999.7] mL 3D-US-measured pre-voiding, 350 [15-1000] mL collected by spontaneous urination, 82.2 [5.3-433.3] mL 3D-US-determined post-voiding; PVRV exceeded 100 mL for 55 (36%). According to our univariate analysis, no factor considered was able to predict PVRV > or =100 mL on day 3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our observations confirmed the existence of PVRV > or =100 mL on day 3 in more than one-third of these primiparae who delivered vaginally under epidural anesthesia. No obstetrical-pediatric factor could be implicated in this bladder dysfunction. Therefore, we recommend frequent and systematic non-invasive 3D-US monitoring of all postpartum patients at least until day 3 to avoid excessive urine retention.
authors.affiliation: Service de Gynécologie-Obstétrique, Hôpital Rothschild, Paris Cedex 12, France. fabien.demaria@trs.aphp.fr
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Demaria
authors.forename: Blandine
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Boquet
authors.forename: Raphaël
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Porcher
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosenblatt
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pedretti
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Raibaut
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Amarenco
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Benifla
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014546:Urinary Catheterization; D016055:Urinary Retention / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014556:Urine