Intravenous pyelography. A comparative trial of ten methods in patients with good renal function.

Abstract Intravenous pyelograms have been carried out by one of ten methods in a total of 536 patients. Our findings suggest the following: (1) In adult patients with a normal blood urea, the quality of intravenous pyelograms can be expected to improve in a manner proportional to the amount of contrast medium injected up to 1 ml./lb. of body weight. (2) Fluid deprivation and lower abdominal compression improve the visualisation of the calyces. Methods employing “hydration” of the patient give less satisfactory calyceal visualisation. The demonstration of the ureters and bladder is no better with these methods than when the same volume of contrast medium is given to a fluid-deprived patient with the use of lower abdominal compression. 3) The injection of 1 ml./lb. of contrast medium in fluiddeprived patients using lower abdominal compression gives the highest percentage of excellent results and the lowest percentage of inadequate results. 80 ml. of 60% Urografin are now used routinely in this department fo...