Hyperosmolar diabetes presenting as acute urinary retention: report of three cases.

Three elderly patients presented at one hospital in a 2-week period with acute urinary retention precipitated by the hyperosmolar non-ketotic diabetic state. In each case routine urine testing was reported as showing 1 per cent glycosuria. The first two patients were admitted at night and blood glucose estimations were not done. This led to a delay of 16 and 12 h respectively before the appropriate therapy was instituted. It is suggested that this clinical presentation, previously unreported, may not be a rarity and represents an avoidable cause of death in patients with acute urinary retention.