EVIDENCE REVIEW AND SYNTHESIS
A review of literature revealed 4 Clinical
Practice Guidelines that address the recognition
and management of PUR. Canterbury
District Health Board8 and East Kent Hospitals
University9 published guidelines to establish
consistency of bladder care during the
intrapartum and postpartum periods at their
respective facilities. In addition to inpatient
guidelines, authors addressed discharge planning
for failed attempts at voiding and mechanisms
to monitor compliance.
The 2 remaining guidelines, published
in Australia, focused on prevention and
treatment of bladder dysfunction. The
Women’s Clinical Guideline from the Royal
Women’s Hospital10 indicated failure to
diagnose bladder distension and incomplete
bladder emptying as common occurrences
in the early peripartum period. The South
Australian Perinatal Practice Guidelines from
the Government of South Australia11 included
an algorithm for instructing women about
intermittent self-catheterization. The intent of
the guideline was to establish consistency of
practice using a multidisciplinary approach.11
Both Australian-based articles used real-time
ultrasonographic bladder assessment, or
bladder scanning, as a technique to estimate
residual urine volume. Scanning is faster than
urethral catheterization, carries a lower risk of
infection, costs less, and isminimally invasive.
Zaki et al12 conducted the only study that
assessed the need for Clinical Practice Guidelines
across maternity units. Questionnaires
were mailed to the heads of Midwifery and
Labor & Delivery unit managers of 189 maternity
units in England and Wales. Questions
were selected to assess the use of urinary
catheterizations in association with regional
analgesia, vaginal delivery, operative delivery,
manual removal of placenta, and repair of
third-degree perineal tears. The study results
demonstrated an association between epidural
analgesia/instrumental delivery and an increased
risk of postpartum urinary retention
in 43% of women with a diagnosis of abnormal
postpartum voiding. Zaki et al12 found a
lack of evidence-based guidelines and protocols
implemented among the maternity units
and recommended implementing protocols
and staff education regarding risk factors and
clinical symptoms of urinary retention.
Although evidence-based international
guidelines addressing the management of
PUR do exist, there were no national guidelines
identified during the literature review.
This lack of guidelines and standardization of
definitions has been cited as a contributing
factor to poor understanding of this common
obstetrical complication. The variance
has also created difficulties with regard to
reporting incidence and prevalence, thus
complicating comparisons of study results.
The evidence supports the need for a clear
and comprehensive evidence-based recommendation
incorporating current information
and practices for health care providers in
the obstetrical community. The primary
purpose of this project was to implement a
Clinical Practice Guideline to support clinical
decision making and quality health care
delivery to women who were unable to void
spontaneously within 6 hours of vaginal delivery.
Secondary gains included opportunities
to decrease variance of clinical practice,
decrease frequency and timing interval of
urinary catheterization, and increase clinical
staff awareness of the condition. How does
the implementation of a Clinical Practice
Guideline on the management of postpartum