Acute urinary retention: medical management and the identification of risk factors for prevention

Male lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia can be progressive in some patients and lead to adverse consequences such as acute urinary retention (AUR), which might require prostate surgery. This Review identifies baseline and dynamic variables that have been recognized as risk factors that might predispose men to AUR. Evidence for the use of medical therapy to reduce the risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia progression, which might prevent AUR, has been critically evaluated. The literature describing the pharmacological management of men with AUR, and in those who have successfully voided after removal of a catheter, has been critically appraised in this article.