The retained urinary catheter

Retention of urinary catheters is an increasing complication in our practice. We have reported 18 patients seen over a 6-month period during which 528 catheterizations were done, representing an incidence of 3.4%. Various forms of management were offered and blind percutaneous suprapubic puncture (BPSP) was found to be simple and effective. One out of 13 patients, however, undergoing BPSP developed transient haematuria. The high incidence of malfunctioning catheter balloon mechanisms may be due to poor quality equipment or lack of appropriate storage facilities.