Safety of Tamsulosin to Prevent Urinary Retention After Colorectal Surgery
Author Information
Author(s): Schultz Kurt S. MD, Butensky Samuel D. MD, Hickey Thomas R. MD, MS, Ahuja Vanita MD, MPH, MBA, Perkal Melissa F. MD, Murthy Shilpa S. MD, MPH, Cavallo Jaime A. MD, MPHS, Leeds Ira L. MD, MBA, ScM
Primary Institution: US Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Connecticut Healthcare System
Hypothesis
Perioperative tamsulosin use in male veterans, regardless of their age or BPH history, is safe.
Conclusion
Perioperative empiric tamsulosin was safe for male veterans undergoing elective major colorectal surgery, with no incidents of tamsulosin discontinuation.
Supporting Evidence
- The rate of postoperative urinary retention (POUR) was 5% in the tamsulosin group compared to 12% in the control group.
- There were zero incidents of tamsulosin discontinuation during the index hospital stay for the tamsulosin group.
- The average time to POUR was 19.2 hours.
Takeaway
This study looked at whether giving a medicine called tamsulosin to veterans after surgery could help them not have problems with their bladder. It found that the medicine was safe to use.
Methodology
This was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of male veteran patients undergoing elective major colorectal surgery.
Potential Biases
There may be confounding due to differences in race and volume resuscitation between groups.
Limitations
Patients already being prescribed tamsulosin were grouped with those who were tamsulosin-naive, and differences in race and volume resuscitation could contribute to confounding.
Participant Demographics
The study included 96 male veterans, mean age 67.6 years, predominantly White (88%), with 76% undergoing surgery for cancer.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.017
Statistical Significance
p=0.017
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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