Beschreibung:
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p><jats:italic>Background.</jats:italic> Urinary retention is a common postpartum condition which may lead to short‐ and long‐term complications. <jats:italic>Objective.</jats:italic> To assess the reliability of a commercially available automatic bladder volume scanner in the puerperium, and to specifically identify women with a post‐void residual volume of 400ml or more. <jats:italic>Methods.</jats:italic> A prospective comparison of ultrasound estimated bladder volume and urine volume measurement after catheterisation in 100 women at risk for postpartum urinary retention (PUR) after vaginal delivery. <jats:italic>Results.</jats:italic> The mean difference between the ultrasound estimates and the catheter volume measurements was 26ml, with the corresponding 95% confidence interval (2.6, 49.4ml). The sensitivity and specificity for the scanner, using the clinically desired value of a 400‐ml threshold, are 0.76 and 0.96, respectively. With a perfect classification for sensitivity at a 300‐ml threshold, specificity may drop to about 50%. Even using this cut‐off point, the number of women catheterised would be reduced by half compared to a procedure of catheterising all women at risk for postpartum urine retention diagnosed by clinical judgment alone. <jats:italic>Conclusion.</jats:italic> The ultrasound scanner is a reliable screening instrument for detecting PUR after vaginal birth.</jats:p>