title: Α₁-blockers in the management of acute urinary retention secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  α1-Blockers have been widely used in the conservative management of acute urinary retention (AUR).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the efficacy and safety of α1-blockers in male patients with AUR secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
  
  
  METHODS
  Electronic searches on PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library were performed to identify all published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs) of α1-blockers for the treatment of AUR. Relevant reviews and reference lists of included studies were explored.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine studies involving a total of 1051 men were enrolled in this review. Compared to 38.9 % (161/414) in control groups, 56.8 % (362/637) of patients receiving α1-blockers had a successful trial without catheter (TWOC). Meta-analysis demonstrated that α1-blockers have a substantial effect on the successful resumption of micturition after TWOC (RR = 1.45, 95 % CI 1.20-1.75, P = 0.0001). In the subsequent phase, the outcomes across studies indicated that α1-blockers may provide little benefit to maintain the satisfactory voiding without AUR recurrence or BPH surgery in a long-term follow-up. α1-Blockers were generally low and well tolerated in both phases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, α1-blockers provide substantial benefit in increasing a satisfactory micturition within 24 h after TWOC for men with AUR due to BPH, even though the long-term effectiveness remains uncertain.
authors.affiliation: Minimally Invasive Urology Center, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guang-Jun
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Feng-Bin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xun-Bo
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D058668:Adrenergic alpha-1 Receptor Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000150:complications*; D016055:Urinary Retention / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D058668:Adrenergic alpha-1 Receptor Antagonists