Postpartum urinary retention after vaginal delivery:

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the incidence of postpartum urinary retention (PUR) after vaginal delivery and to determine the risk factors for PUR. Methods: A retrospective case-control study of parturients with PUR after vaginal delivery between June 2007 and July 2008. Four controls, matched for date of delivery, were selected for each case in univariate and multivariate conditional logistic regression analyses. Results: There were 860 deliveries and 52 cases of PUR (incidence, 6%). All cases of PUR were managed with insertion of a Foley catheter with resolution before hospital discharge. Univariate analysis showed birth weight, increasing duration of the first and second stages of labor, biparietal diameter, perineal trauma, and epidural anesthesia to be significantly associated with PUR. Only perineal trauma remained statistically significant based on multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Perineal trauma was identified as the single most important associated risk factor for PUR after vaginal delivery. The findings of this study provide information for further exploration on how to reduce perineal trauma during vaginal delivery