Excretory urography is one of the most informative methods of diagnosing kidney disease

Diagnosis of diseases of the urinary system is often impossible without laboratory and instrumental research.

X-ray studies are the most common instrumental studies in urology. Conducting them technically simple, they are safe and highly informative in most diseases of the urinary tract. Despite the use of more modern research methods in medicine, such as ultrasound examination of internal organs, computer and magnetic resonance imaging, X-ray studies have not lost their relevance to the present day.

These methods help determine the presence of stones, a change in the structure of the kidneys, organic changes in the structure of the urinary system.

Types of X-ray studies of the kidneys

There are the following types of X-ray studies of the urinary system:

1. X-ray examination without contrast agents.
2. Excretory urography with the introduction of X-ray contrast substance intravenously.
3. Retrograde pyelography, in which the X-ray contrast preparation is injected by catheterization with a cystoscope first into the bladder, then upward into the ureters and renal pelvis.

Excretory urography is the most informative and often used method of X-rays of kidney research.

Preparing for urography

If an x-ray examination of the kidneys, including excretory urography, is prescribed, preparation for its conduct should be carried out according to all the doctor's recommendations. The purpose of the preparation is to release the intestine from food debris, gases that interfere with the research. For this, the patient is recommended to adhere to a special diet for three days before the procedure, excluding the use of products that cause the formation of gases in the intestine. If the preparation is not carefully prepared, the results of the study will be incorrect, which will require repeated urography or other methods of examination.

Three days before the study, foods that cause gas formation in the intestine (milk, rye bread, legumes, cabbage, potatoes, sweets) should be excluded from the diet. The patient should take food that contains little slag and table salt, is easily digested and does not irritate the intestinal mucosa.

To reduce the formation of gases in the intestine for 3 days before the test, the patient should take activated charcoal, carboline or chamomile broth.

If excretory urography is prescribed, preparation for it includes mandatory sampling for individual sensitivity to the contrast drug. The test for sensitivity is performed by a nurse. To do this, 1 ml of contrast medium is administered intravenously slowly. When skin itching, burning, mucous discharge from the nose, red eyes, sneezing and coughing, swelling, redness at the injection site, fever, tachycardia and general weakness excretory urography is canceled.

On the eve of the survey a light dinner is shown , it should be held no later than 19 hours. At 20 o'clock, it is necessary to clean the intestines with a cleansing enema, which must be done twice with a break of 30-40 minutes.

In the morning two hours before the examination a repeated cleansing enema is done. The examination is performed on an empty stomach, before this patient is offered to relieve the bladder. If excretory urography is performed, the patient is injected intravenously with a contrast agent.

In this article we answered the question, what is urography, what is it intended for, and what training is required to conduct this study.