What is a Paediatric Renal Ultrasound?

A Paediatric Abdominal Ultrasound is a procedure that uses ultrasound imaging primarily to evaluate the internal organs and blood vessels within your child’s renal system including the kidneys and bladder.

Renal ultrasound studies are most commonly performed to investigate the causes of urinary tract infections (infections affecting the urine or the organs that form and discharge the urine). They are sometimes performed in infants to track changes in a baby’s development identified on scans that were performed while the child was still in utero.

What happens during a Paediatric Renal Ultrasound?

A. Before your scan

What to bring

• Your request form
• Any relevant previous imaging
• Your Medicare card and any concession cards

Preparation – the day of your procedure

Please ensure your child is well hydrated by drinking water or clear juice, not milk.

• 0-1 year old – feed 30 mintues before appointment.
• 1-4 years old – 2 glasses, 30 minutes before appointment.
• 5-8 years old – 3 glasses 30 – 60 minutes before appointment.
• Over 8 years old – 4 glasses (approx. 500ml) 60 minutes before appointment.

Encourage the child to have a full bladder if possible.

You will be asked to fill out a questionnaire regarding your child’s health status, medication, and any known allergies. Your child will need to have their nappy and clothing removed and if appropriate changed into an examination gown to allow the ultrasound study to be carried out.

B. During your Paediatric Renal Ultrasound

Procedure

Your child will be placed on their back on an examination bed. Gel will be applied to the area being imaged to help create a good contact between you and the ultrasound probe. The probe will be placed directly onto the gel and your skin for the duration of the examination. Your child may be asked to move, or moved,  into different positions to allow images to be taken. They may also be asked to drink some water during the exam.

The ultrasound will be performed by a Radiologist (medical specialist) or a sonographer (a specially trained technologist). Because the examiner is interpreting moving images on a screen a high degree of concentration is required.

Ultrasound examinations are not painful and generally not invasive but may be uncomfortable particularly if over a tender part of the body.

Most ultrasound examinations will be completed within 30 minutes. It is not unusual for the radiologist to come in and speak with you and view the images on the screen. At the end of the procedure the gel is simply wiped from your child’s skin so that it does not mark their clothes.

Risks and side effects

Ultrasounds are a very low risk procedure and complications are rare however you should be informed of the possible risks and side effects.

Risks associated with this procedure include:

• If scanning is performed over an area of tenderness, pressure or minor pain from the transducer may be felt.

Any medical procedure can potentially be associated with unpredictable risks.

Who will perform the Paediatric Renal Ultrasound?

The ultrasound examination will be carried out by a sonographer (a technologist trained in ultrasound imaging)

What happens after a Paediatric Renal Ultrasound?

How do I get my results?

After your appointment, the information from the scan is interpreted by Envision’s Radiologist before delivery of a report to your child’s doctor or Paediatrician.

Post-procedure

Your child should be able to go about their normal daily activities after the appointment.