Identification of Urinary Retention by Simplified Ultrasound: Diagnostic Without Volumetric Measurements

Urinary retention is a urological emergency that requires prompt management to prevent complications such as acute kidney injury or bladder rupture. Currently, diagnosis is based on clinical examination, sometimes supplemented by a bladder scanner (a device used to measure bladder volume) or by a more detailed ultrasound examination with measurement of bladder volume. A bladder volume greater than 400 mL (urinary bladder distension), combined with anuria, dysuria, or suprapubic pain, is diagnostic of urinary retention. The aim of this prospective study protocol is to determine whether simple visualization of the bladder using an ultrasound probe placed between the umbilicus and the pubic bone, performed by trained nurses, can reliably diagnose urinary bladder distension (bladder volume greater than 400 mL). If this hypothesis is confirmed, this approach could enable a simple and rapid diagnosis, thereby facilitating earlier treatment of bladder distension secondary to urinary retention.