What it means
A drug that acts like acetylcholine on the bladder and gut, making the bladder muscle squeeze. It treats urinary retention when nothing is blocking the flow, such as after surgery or childbirth or with a weak bladder from nerve damage. Its side effects come from the same action: sweating, drooling, flushing, cramping, diarrhea, slow heart rate and low blood pressure.
For the nurse
Give it at least 1 hour before a meal or 2 hours after one, to reduce nausea and vomiting, and have a bedpan or urinal close by: it often works within an hour. It is not used if the bladder outlet or bowel is blocked, or in asthma. Check heart rate and blood pressure; atropine is the antidote for an overdose.
At a glance
| Drug class | cholinergic (muscarinic agonist) |
|---|---|
| Brand names | Urecholine |
| Spanish | betanecol |
| Also written | Duvoid |
Related terms
urinary retention
Being unable to empty the bladder completely, or at all.
bladder
The hollow, stretchy organ in the lower belly that stores urine until it leaves the body.