Prevalence and Risk Factors of Urinary Retention in Patients With Cervical Cancer: A Meta-analysis and Systematic Review.

Background: The literature is inconsistent on the prevalence and risk factors of urinary retention in patients with cervical cancer.

Objective: The aim of this study was to review the literature on the prevalence of urinary retention in patients with cervical cancer and consolidate the risk factors.

Methods: For this meta-analysis, eligible articles published in English or Chinese by December 10, 2021, were systematically searched for and retrieved from PubMed, Cochrane Library, Ovid-Embase Medline, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Scopus. Prevalence, odds ratios (ORs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used for meta-analysis.

Results: Twenty-five studies were included in the analysis. The pooled overall prevalence was 0.26 (95% CI, 0.21-0.30, I2 = 95.0%). The identified risk factors were age (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.08-1.19), urinary tract infection (UTI) (OR, 3.33; 95% CI, 1.48-7.49), surgical extent (OR, 2.95; 95% CI, 1.27-6.85), and catheter indwelling time (OR, 3.44; 95% CI, 2.43-3.87).

Conclusions: The prevalence of urinary retention in patients with cervical cancer is 0.26. Older age, UTI, longer catheter indwelling time, and a larger surgical extent may increase the risk of urinary retention. Clinicians should identify patients at risk and adopt interventions such as individualized catheter care.

Implications for practice: Nursing staff should assess the risk of urinary retention in a patient with cervical cancer according to her age, presence of UTI, surgical extent, and catheterization time. A carefully chosen surgical procedure and interventions such as individualized education, timely catheter removal, treatment of UTI, and rehabilitation should be offered.