OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a relation between urinary retention and temporal rhythms exists. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of patients presenting over three years. SETTING: Urology departments in two hospitals. PATIENTS: 815 Patients presenting as emergency admissions with urinary retention and requiring immediate decompression of the bladder. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Calendar date of each admission to determine circadian, monthly, and seasonal periodicity. RESULTS: No association was found between urinary retention and circadian, monthly, or seasonal rhythms. A significantly higher (p less than 0.001) incidence of urinary retention was observed during the new moon in comparison with other phases of the lunar cycle. CONCLUSIONS: Urinary retention is periodic in nature. This should be considered when the workload of a specialist urological department is organised.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a relation between urinary retention and temporal rhythms exists. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of patients presenting over three years. SETTING: Urology departments in two hospitals. PATIENTS: 815 Patients presenting as emergency admissions with urinary retention and requiring immediate decompression of the bladder. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Calendar date of each admission to determine circadian, monthly, and seasonal periodicity. RESULTS: No association was found between urinary retention and circadian, monthly, or seasonal rhythms. A significantly higher (p less than 0.001) incidence of urinary retention was observed during the new moon in comparison with other phases of the lunar cycle. CONCLUSIONS: Urinary retention is periodic in nature. This should be considered when the workload of a specialist urological department is organised.
Authors: Georg Zettinig; Richard Crevenna; Christian Pirich; Robert Dudczak; Thomas Waldhoer Journal: Wien Klin Wochenschr Date: 2003-05-15 Impact factor: 1.704