This article briefly discusses the Urinalysis procedure. Intravenous urography is an x-ray used to display lower urinary tract and kidneys. Radiocontrast substance (radiopaque substance), which may be seen on X-ray, is given intravenously.

The substance starts to accumulate in the kidney, generally, in less than five minutes. After that x-ray film is obtained. X-ray film provides a kidney’s picture and radiopaque substance (radiocontrast substance) passage through the ureter into the bladder.

Intravenous urography does not work well in patients with poor kidney function, which may not concentrate the radiocontrast substance. Abrupt failure of the kidney happens as adverse reaction in less than one out of two hundreeds cases after radiocontrast substance has been injected for an X-rays procedures. The kidney failure cause is not known, but the risk is higher in elderly and in people with multiple myeloma, previous kidney insufficiency, dehydration, or diabetes mellitus.

When intravenous urography must be performed for a patient with a high risk, the physician makes sure the individual is given fluid intravenously beforehand. A physician also uses a small dose of the radiocontrast substance to decrease the risk as much as possible. In some cases, an alternative test, such as CT (computed tomography) is performed.

This entry was filed under Procedures.

Tags: intravenous urography, kidney failure, kidney function, kidney insufficiency, ray film, urine test, x-ray