The efficacy of phenoxybenzamine in preventing postoperative urinary retention after total hip arthroplasty was investigated in a double-blind placebo-controlled study on 60 consecutive male patients with obstructive urinary symptoms. The patients were randomized into two groups, one being given 10 mg phenoxybenzamine orally and the other a placebo immediately after the termination of the operation and 8 and 16 hours later. Only 10% of the patients in the phenoxybenzamine group were affected by retention compared with 48% in the placebo group (p less than 0.01). It is concluded that phenoxybenzamine effectively prevents urinary retention after total hip arthroplasty in male patients with obstructive urinary symptoms. The drug is recommended for routine prophylactic use with patients not presenting with impaired cerebral circulation or serious coronary heart disease, to prevent infection leading to bacteraemia or other complications of urinary catheterization.
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