Inability to urinate due to hospitalization

[Vania]

People staying in the hospital may become unable to empty their bladder completely or become unable to urinate at all. This problem, called urinary retention, may occur because people

Are in pain after surgery
Are taking drugs that cause urinary retention
Have to stay in bed a long time (bed rest)

Urinary retention occurs more commonly among men over 50 because an enlarged prostate (benign prostate hyperplasia), which interferes with urination, becomes more common as men age, especially after age 50.
Urinary retention can increase the risk of developing a urinary tract infection and can cause kidney problems.
(See also Problems Due to Hospitalization.)