Indwelling urinary catheters in cesarean delivery.

OBJECTIVES

A prospective randomized study was used to determine the effect of urinary bladder catheterization on first-void discomfort, time of ambulation, hospital stay, and urinary tract infection in women undergoing cesarean delivery.

METHODS

We randomly assigned 270 women delivered by cesarean section to urinary bladder catheterization or no catheterization. Prospective methods were used to assess patient discomfort with the first postoperative void after, time of ambulation, time of hospital stay, and need for recatheterization.

RESULTS

Of 135 women who did not receive an indwelling urinary catheter after cesarean delivery, six (4.4%) patients needed postoperation urinary catheterization. The time of first postoperative voiding was 8-11 h in 54 (42.5%) of cases. The ambulation time in the uncatheterized group was 6.8 h, vs. 12.9 h in the control group. Uncatheterized patients had a shorter hospital stay. Urinary tract infection was not assessed in this study.

CONCLUSIONS

Routine use of indwelling urinary catheter in cesarean delivery patients with a stable hemodynamic condition is not necessary.