A Voiding Cystourethrogram (VCUG) is a video X-ray of the bladder, urinary tract and kidneys, to see how they are functioning. Patients needing this care present with common urinary tract infections (UTI) or suspected obstruction or bladder trauma. Our specialists will catheterize the patient, filling the bladder with non-hazardous liquid allowing an X-ray machine to display the movement of liquid within the three organs.

What to Expect

Testing is approximately 30-45 minutes, and will take place in a private radiology exam room. At Riley, we believe the parents/caregivers role has great impact on the success of the test and encourage your participation--your support is very important. Throughout the tes,t we encourage you to help your child stay calm and relaxed by holding their hands and talking to them, particularly when the catheter is inserted. The test does involve the use of radiation, so for women who are pregnant or believe they might be pregnant, are not allowed in the exam room. In this case, we strongly encourage you to invite another trusted caregiver to help support your child during the exam. Siblings are also not allowed in the exam room.

If your child has had a recent UTI and is taking antibiotics, the antibiotics have to run through a course of seven days to avoid the risk of infection to complete the exam. The exam for both a boy and girl is outlined below:

For Boys

• Once your child is on the table, he will be asked to relax his legs out in front of him. The technologist will then take Betadine (liquid soap) and a cotton swab to clean the tip of his penis around where his urine comes out. This may feel cold and wet.
• The technologist will then slide a tiny, flexible soft called a catheter, into the opening where urine exits his body. This is sometimes an uncomfortable feeling so he may need support and comfort.
• The catheter is connected to a liquid that flows through the tube into your child's bladder. This liquid is called contrast which shows up on X-ray pictures.
• The X-ray machine will move over your child to take pictures but will not touch him.
• X-ray pictures will be taken to view the liquid in his bladder. When his bladder is full, he will be asked to urinate on the table, on to towels. Once he urinates, the catheter will fall out.
• The technologist will continue to encourage your child to push out all of the liquid so they can continue taking more X-ray pictures. This might sound uncomfortable or embarrassing but it is very important part of the test.

For Girls

• Once your child is on the table, she will be asked to place her legs in the "frog position", putting her feet together and bending her kneeds outward. The technologist will then take Betadine (liquid soap) and a cotton swab to clean the area between the legs three times. This may feel cold and wet. 
• The technologist will then slide a tiny, flexible, soft tube called a catheter, into the opening where urine exits her body. This is sometimes an uncomfortable feeling so she may need support and comfort.
• The catheter is connected to a liquid that flows through the tube into your child's bladder. This liquid is called contrast which shows up on X-ray pictures.
• The X-ray machine will move over your child to take pictures but will not touch her.
• X-ray pictures will be taken to view the liquid in her bladder. When her bladder is full, she will be asked to urinate on the table on to towels. Once she urinates, the catheter will fall out.
• The technologist will continue to encourage your child to push out all of the liquid so they can continue taking more X-ray pictures. This might sound uncomfortable or embarrassing but it is a very important part of the test.