Intravenous pyelogram (IVP)

X-ray IVP is typically avoided in pregnant women.

The healthcare practitioner may order an x-ray IVP if you show symptoms of a urinary tract problem, such as:

• Cloudy urine
• Pain while urinating
• Blood in urine
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fever
• Swelling in feet and legs
• Abdominal pain
• Pain in your back or side

Your doctor may ask you to sign a consent form that permits him/her to perform the test. You will most likely be asked to fast the night before the test. The doctor may ask you to take a laxative the day before the procedure.

Inform your doctor if you have any health problems or allergies, especially to contrast dye. A blood test may be done to evaluate your kidney function. (Read more: Kidney function test)

Let your doctor know about any medicines that you may be taking. Women should inform their healthcare practitioner if they are or suspect they might be pregnant.

You will have to take off some of your clothes and change into a hospital gown for the test. Take off all jewellery and metal objects that might interfere with the test.

Inform your doctor if you have a bleeding disorder or are on any blood-thinning medicines.

The test is performed in the following manner:

• You will have to lie in a supine position on the X-ray table. The technician will operate the machine from behind a wall or an adjoining room.
• Your doctor will take an X-ray of your urinary tract without the contrast dye.
• Then, they will inject the contrast dye into a vein in your arm.
• A band may be wrapped around your abdomen so that the dye stays in the urinary tract.
• As the contrast dye moves through your urinary tract, the healthcare provider will take a series of images to view your urinary tract.
• You will have to remain very still and hold your breath when the images are being taken.
• You will be asked to change positions to obtain images from all sides.
• Your doctor or technician will then ask you to empty your bladder in the restroom or into a bedpan or urinal.
• An additional image will be taken to see how much dye remains in your bladder after it is emptied.

An IVP is usually a comfortable procedure. As the dye enters the bloodstream, you may experience a transient flushing sensation, metallic or salty taste in your mouth. Additionally, you may experience headaches, nausea or vomiting.

The following conditions in the urinary tract can be diagnosed with an x-ray IVP:

• Kidney, ureter or bladder stones 
• Damage or scarring of the urinary tract 
• Tumours or cysts (fluid-filled swelling) in the urinary tract 
• Birth defects in the urinary tract
• Enlarged prostate (in men)
• Trauma or injury to the urinary tract

The benefits of an IVP are:

• It is a minimally invasive procedure.
• No radiation is left in the body after the test.
• X-rays cause no side effects when given in a diagnostic dose.

The risks of an IVP are:

• An allergic reaction to the contrast dye can occur.
• Exposure to x-rays during pregnancy can harm the fetus.

You do not need special care after an IVP. You can continue your diet and activities as usual. You must drink more fluids to help flush the dye out of your body. The doctor will ask you to keep track of the volume of urine you pass over the next 24 hours. The following symptoms should be reported to the doctor immediately:

• Blood in urine
• Nausea
• Itching or rashes
• Redness or swelling at the injection site
• Fever 
• Chills

 The doctor may order other tests to evaluate the urinary tract, such as: 

• Computed tomography (CT) scan
• CT urogram
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Ultrasound

Disclaimer: All results must be clinically correlated with the patient’s complaints to make a complete and accurate diagnosis. The above information is provided from a purely educational point of view and is in no way a substitute for medical advice by a qualified doctor.