Duration of Urinary Catheterization Following Cesarean Deliveries Under Neuraxial Anesthesia

In cesarean deliveries, urinary catheters are often used to help empty the bladder while patients have limited mobility. These catheters typically stay in during early recovery because certain pain medications can make it hard for patients to urinate. Recently, the Society of Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) recommended removing catheters within 6-12 hours after delivery to aid recovery. However, at BC Women's Hospital, a review found that catheters stayed in for an average of 19 to 19.4 hours, even when patients were mobile. Leaving catheters in too long can increase the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs), pain, and urination issues, which can delay recovery and extend hospital stays. An internal review showed that factors like patient anxiety may affect when catheters are removed. Postpartum anxiety affects around 9.9% to 20.7% of new mothers in the first year and is an important factor in recovery after a cesarean delivery. The main goal of this study is to look at how long urinary catheters stay in patients who had a cesarean delivery under spinal or epidural anesthesia, and what the score is from a questionnaire used to measure anxiety called the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), to see if there is a link between them.

NCT Number	NCT06881849
Lead Sponsor	University of British Columbia
Conditions	Cesarean Delivery, Urinary Catheterization
Enrollment	300 participants
Start Date	2025-04-25
Primary Completion	2025-07-30 (estimated)
Study Completion	2025-12-01 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-03-18