PEM POCUS Series: Pediatric Renal and Bladder Ultrasound
Read this tutorial on the use of point of care ultrasonography (POCUS) for pediatric renal and bladder ultrasonography. Then test your skills on the ALiEMU course page to receive your PEM POCUS badge worth 2 hours of ALiEMU course credit.
Module Goals
- List the indications for performing a pediatric renal/bladder point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS)
- Describe the technique for performing renal/bladder POCUS
- Identify hydronephrosis and its appearance at different severities
- List the limitations of renal/bladder POCUS
- Advanced: Recognize direct and other indirect signs of nephrolithiasis as well as gross renal/bladder structural anomalies such as cysts and masses
Case Introduction: Child with abdominal pain
Serena is a 9-year-old girl who comes into the emergency department complaining of one day of left flank and left lower quadrant pain (LLQ). The pain is intermittent, sharp, severe, and associated with 2 episodes of nonbloody, nonbilious emesis. Her mother denies any fevers, upper respiratory symptoms, sore throat, or diarrhea. She adds that her daughter has complained of 2-3 episodes of dysuria and gross hematuria over the last few days.
On arrival, her vital signs are:
Vital Sign | Finding |
---|---|
Temperature | 99 F |
Heart Rate | 115 bpm |
Blood Pressure | 97/50 |
Respiratory Rate | 19 |
Oxygen Saturation (room air) | 100% |
You find her lying on the gurney, uncomfortable appearing, and intermittently crying. She has a normal HEENT, neck, cardiac, respiratory, and back examination. She has no flank tenderness, but she does cry out with palpation of the LLQ and suprapubic areas.
Given her pain with a history of intermittent hematuria and dysuria, you perform a renal and bladder point of care ultrasound (POCUS) examination.
Pediatric Renal and Bladder POCUS
Case POCUS
Using the curvilinear probe, you perform a POCUS on the bladder and both kidneys (Video 12).
Video 12. Bilateral renal ultrasound demonstrating twinkling artifact in the bladder and left-sided moderate hydronephrosis, indicative of a distal left ureteral stone (Video courtesy of Dr. Jim Tsung)
Case Resolution
Labs showed a slight leukocytosis with a serum WBC of 13 x109/L but no left shift and a normal creatinine. Urinalysis was positive for blood, RBC’s, and crystals but negative for glucose, ketones, leukocyte esterase, nitrites, WBC’s, squamous cells, and bacteria. The pain and vomiting were well-controlled with ketorolac and ondansetron, respectively. Urology was consulted and recommended medical management. The patient was discharged on tamsulosin and given urine-straining instructions.
Pediatrician Clinic Follow-Up
At her pediatrician clinic visit 2 weeks later, the patient had passed the stone and was asymptomatic.
Learn More…
References
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