Treatment of urinary retention in stroke patients

Written by Tang Ying
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Updated on September 09, 2024
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In cases of urinary retention after a stroke, some patients experience this due to psychological factors, concerns, and the sudden need to remain in bed, making it difficult to urinate in bed since they cannot stand or squat. Therefore, the first step is to alleviate psychological factors, provide patient communication and counseling, and perform massages around the navel and abdomen, along with heat treatments, to help patients urinate on their own. In a second scenario, where the patient's condition is severe or even comatose, and they have difficulty urinating, a catheter can be placed. It's important to first try to rule out a urinary tract infection, collect a midstream urine sample for analysis, and ensure the catheter is not left in longer than necessary. Once the patient's condition improves or they regain consciousness, the catheter should be removed promptly to avoid any urinary tract infections.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
1min 9sec home-news-image

What is a stroke?

The English term for 脑卒中 is stroke, which generally refers to a group of cerebrovascular diseases. These diseases often onset acutely and mainly consist of two types. The first type is ischemic stroke, which includes diseases like cerebral thrombosis, watershed infarction, cerebral infarction, and cerebral embolism. The second type is hemorrhagic stroke, which primarily includes cerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage among other bleeding-related disorders. Regardless of the type, the onset of stroke is very sudden, and patients rapidly develop severe neurological deficits. For example, a patient may experience sudden slurred speech, paralysis of one side of the body, or numbness and weakness on one side. There will inevitably be obvious symptoms like dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, and stiffness of the neck. If a stroke is suspected, it is crucial to rush to the hospital immediately. Doctors will make an accurate diagnosis and provide appropriate treatment based on the patient's medical history and cranial CT scans.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
1min home-news-image

What does stroke include?

Stroke, translated from the English word "stroke," refers to rapidly occurring pathological changes. Stroke mainly includes two types of diseases: ischemic cerebrovascular disease and hemorrhagic cerebrovascular disease, with ischemic cerebrovascular disease being the most common. Ischemic cerebrovascular disease includes large artery atherosclerotic cerebral infarction, small artery occlusive cerebral infarction, as well as cardiogenic cerebral embolism and other causes of cerebral infarction. Hemorrhagic cerebrovascular disease mainly includes cerebral hemorrhage caused by hypertension, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and cerebral hemorrhage caused by aneurysms or vascular malformations. The onset of a stroke is very aggressive and can severely threaten the patient's health. Once a stroke is suspected, it is critical to rush to the hospital for appropriate diagnostic tests to confirm the diagnosis and provide the most suitable treatment plan.

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Written by Tang Ying
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
41sec home-news-image

What is the goal of rehabilitation during the acute phase of a stroke?

Rehabilitation goals during the acute phase of stroke. In the acute phase, we usually can intervene with rehabilitation treatment 48 hours after the patient’s vital signs have stabilized. The main goals of rehabilitation during the acute phase are to prevent complications such as pressure ulcers, atelectasis pneumonia, urinary tract infections, deep vein thrombosis, and muscle atrophy. Additionally, it aims to improve impaired neurological functions such as sensory, motor, and speech therapies, and to enhance the patient’s ability for self-care and mobility.

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Written by Tang Bo
Neurology
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What department should I go to for a stroke?

Stroke is classified into ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. If symptoms of a stroke occur, such as slurred speech, limb weakness, or other neurological deficits, one should immediately seek medical attention at the emergency department of a local hospital. Emergency doctors will perform a head CT scan. If ischemia is present, the CT scan might not show changes within 24 hours, in which case a visit to the neurology department is necessary. If hemorrhage is detected, then a visit to the neurosurgery department is required. However, if the symptoms are of a chronic, old stroke, then a visit to the neurology department is needed.

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Written by Liu Yan Hao
Neurology
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What are the types of strokes?

The common types of strokes include hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke. Hemorrhagic strokes commonly involve subarachnoid hemorrhage and intracerebral hemorrhage. Subarachnoid hemorrhage often occurs due to the rupture of cerebral aneurysms, causing blood to enter the subarachnoid space. Intracerebral hemorrhage is commonly caused by hypertension leading to the rupture of cerebral blood vessels and subsequent bleeding into the brain parenchyma. Additionally, there is ischemic stroke, commonly presenting as cerebral infarction and cerebral embolism. Cerebral embolism occurs when a blood clot from another part of the body outside the brain, following the blood circulation, blocks a cerebral vessel. Cerebral infarction happens when cerebral arteriosclerosis narrows down to a certain extent, gradually obstructing and forming cerebral infarction. These are the common types of strokes.