Care for patients with acute stroke: effectiveness of portable vesical ultrasound imaging in the stroke unit

More than a third of the patients with acute stroke have urinary disorders that should be evaluated and treated. To evaluate the effectiveness of portable ultrasound scanner in patients with acute stroke. Randomized clinical trial with stroke patients admitted consecutively to the stroke unit between July 2009 and February 2010. Patients were monitored for their urinary function. Specifically, the control group was assessed for retention of urine with the traditional method and the intervention group was assessed using a portable bladder scanner. The study included 145 patients (78 in the intervention group and 67 in the control group). On admission, 62.3% of patients in the intervention group had urinary retention, with volumes above 500 mL in 14.3% of these patients. We found more difficult suprapubic discomfort during the first 24 hours in the control group (p < 0.05) and a higher frequency of urinary retention in intervention group during the first 24 hours. Urinary dysfunction was observed in 26.9% of the control group and in 23.1% of the intervention group (p < 0.05). The portable bladder ultrasound was an effective method that allowed greater control of the patient, it detected urine retention accurately, preventing further discomfort to the patient, and we recommend their incorporation in nursing care of acute stroke, especially in the first days of hospitalization.