Risk of Urinary Retention
1 min readRisk of Urinary Retention Astronaut Mark Vande Hei swaps out components on an advanced new toilet installed inside the International Space Station.NASA Exposure to the altered gravity in the spaceflight environment may cause physiological changes. One of these changes is the inability to completely empty the bladder or urinary retention. Causes of urinary retention in the early phases of flight include altered baseline physiology seen with exposure to microgravity, the anticholinergic side effects of medications that are taken to combat space motion sickness, and other factors. Urinary retention may impact health on orbit by causing discomfort and increasing the risk of urinary tract infection. Treatment, including urethral catheterization, has been performed on orbit. Directed Acyclic Graph Files + DAG File Information (HSRB Home Page) + Urinary Retention Risk DAG and Narrative (PDF) + Urinary Retention Risk DAG Code (TXT) Human System Risks Share Details Last Updated Mar 11, 2025 EditorRobert E. LewisLocationJohnson Space Center Related TermsHuman Health and PerformanceHuman System Risks Explore More 1 min read Risk to Crew...