Intravenous Pyelogram

Intravenous Pyelogram (I.V.P)  

It is an examination of the kidneys, the bladder and the ureters.

How to prepare for the examination?

At the time of the examination, the stomach must be empty. Therefore, you will be provided some medications that will help you empty your bowels, attached are complete instructions of how to administer the medicine.

• Make sure patient doesn’t have asthma.
• Make sure patient is not pregnant.
• Make sure patient is not allergic to any foods or medication because the dye might have an effect.
• Make sure that the kidneys function well by a blood test no more than two weeks before the procedure.

Procedure:

• The radiologist might ask you to urinate.
• You will change into a hospital gown for the procedure.
• You will be asked to lie onto the x-ray table for an hour while the radiologist takes several scans. You will not be allowed to move to insure the success of the scan. 
• You will be injected with the dye intravenously to give the kidneys a more defined appearance on the x-ray images. The body might feel warm afterwards and you might have a metallic taste in your mouth. 
• In some cases, a plastic belt will be placed on the abdomen for 10 minutes to define the kidneys.
• In the end, you will be asked to pee and then return to the radiology room to complete the exam.

The duration of the examination:

From the start of the exam it can take up to an hour.

Passing the contrast dye:

You need to drink lots of fluids to pass the remnants of dye in your body.  

Getting the results:

The doctor will write a report and it will be added to you medical file. Afterwards, you will be scheduled an appointment with the doctor who had requested the x-ray to follow up on the results.