Acute urinary retention associated with sublingual buprenorphine

Abstract

Parenteral opiate analgesics have been shown to affect vesicourethral function, and intrathecal and epidural opiates reportedly precipitate acute urinary retention. There have been no reports of acute retention with buprenorphine given sublingually or via the epidural route. The author reports a case showing that buprenorphine (Temgesic) may precipitate acute retention of urine.