Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Nov 27, 2023.
What is the test?
By filling your bladder with a liquid dye that shows up on x-rays, your doctor can watch the motion of your bladder as it fills and empties and can see if your urine splashes backwards toward your kidneys as the bladder muscle squeezes. This kind of test can help your doctor to better understand problems with repeated urinary tract infections or problems involving damage to the kidneys. It can also be useful for evaluating urine leakage problems.
How do I prepare for the test?
Tell your doctor before the test if you have ever had an allergic reaction to x-ray dye (IV contrast dye). Also let your doctor know if there is any chance you are pregnant.
What happens when the test is performed?
You wear a hospital gown and lie on a table in the x-ray department. A part of your genital area is cleaned with soap on a cotton swab. Then a soft, bendable rubber tube called a urinary catheter is inserted into your bladder, usually by a nurse. The tube is first coated with a slippery jelly and then pushed gently through the opening of the urethra (at the end of the penis for men and near the opening of the vagina for women).
You will feel some pressure while the tube slides into the urethra. Once it is in place, a tiny balloon on the end of the tube is filled with air to hold it in position. The other end (about 6 inches of tubing) hangs outside of your vagina or penis. The doctor uses this tube to fill your bladder with fluid containing a dye that shows up on x-rays. You will feel pressure in your bladder as it begins to expand.
To create a clear picture, your bladder needs to be filled with as much fluid as it can hold. You will probably feel a very strong urge to urinate. A few pictures are taken with the bladder completely full, and then the small catheter balloon is emptied and the tube is pulled out. You are given a urinal container or a bedpan and asked to urinate while you are still on the table under the x-ray camera. Several pictures are taken while your bladder is emptying. Many patients find this part of the test embarrassing, but you can be reassured that it is a routine part of this common test, something the technicians in this test lab see on a regular basis.
What risks are there from the test?
There is a small chance of having an allergic reaction to the x-ray dye used in the test. Some patients have some temporary irritation of their urethra after the tube has been in place, and this might result in some burning during urination for a few hours afterward. Let your doctor know if burning or pain with urinating lasts longer than a day; this could mean you have developed an infection.
As with all x-rays, there is exposure to a small amount of radiation. The amount of radiation from x-ray tests is very small. So, occasional exposures to x-ray tests are unlikely to be harmful to adults. However, repeated x-ray exposure may increase the risk of cancer later in life.
Pregnant women should avoid this test because the x-rays are directed at the pelvis.
Must I do anything special after the test is over?
How long before the result of the test is known?
The x-rays require an hour or more to be developed, and it takes some additional time for the radiologist to examine the pictures and decide whether they look normal. Your doctor should receive a report within a few days.
Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.
Kwa mujibu wa uchunguzi wa daktari wa Drugs.com. Mabadiliko ya mwisho yalifanywa mnamo Novemba 27, 2023. Jaribio hilo ni nini? Kwa kujaza kibofu chako cha mkojo na rangi ya kioevu inayoonekana kwenye X-ray, daktari wako anaweza kuangalia mwendo wa kibofu chako cha mkojo wakati kinajaza na kutolea nje na anaweza kuona ikiwa mkojo wako unashuka nyuma kuelekea figo zako wakati misuli ya kibofu cha mkojo inapopiga. Uchunguzi huu unaweza kumsaidia daktari wako kuelewa vizuri matatizo ya maambukizo ya njia za mkojo mara kwa mara au matatizo yanayohusisha uharibifu wa figo. Inaweza pia kuwa na manufaa kwa ajili ya kutathmini matatizo ya kuvuja mkojo. Ninaweza kujitayarishaje kwa ajili ya mtihani? Mweleze daktari wako kabla ya mtihani ikiwa umewahi kuwa na athari ya mzio kwa rangi ya x-ray (rangi ya tofauti ya IV). Pia mwambie daktari wako kama kuna uwezekano wowote kwamba wewe ni mjamzito. Ni nini hutokea wakati mtihani huo unapofanywa? Unavaa vazi la hospitali na unalala kwenye meza katika idara ya X-ray. Sehemu ya sehemu ya uzazi huoshwa kwa sabuni kwenye swab ya pamba. Kisha, chombo cha mpira chenye umbo la laini kinachoitwa catheter ya mkojo huingizwa ndani ya kibofu chako cha mkojo, kwa kawaida na muuguzi. Mfumo huo hufunikwa kwa jeli ya kuelea na kisha kusukumwa polepole kupitia ufunguo wa mkojo (mwisho wa kiuno kwa wanaume na karibu na ufunguo wa mkojo kwa wanawake). Utahisi shinikizo fulani wakati bomba linapoingia ndani ya mkojo. Baada ya kufungwa, puto dogo kwenye mwisho wa bomba hilo hujazwa hewa ili liendelee. Mwisho wa mtiririko huo (inchi 6 hivi) unalingana na sehemu ya nje ya mkojo au kiuno. Daktari hutumia bomba hili kujaza kibofu chako cha mkojo na kioevu chenye rangi inayoonekana kwenye X-ray. Utaona shinikizo katika kibofu chako cha mkojo kinapoanza kupanuka. Ili kupata picha sahihi, kibofu chako cha mkojo kinapaswa kujazwa na umajimaji mwingi iwezekanavyo. Inawezekana kwamba utahisi uhitaji mkubwa wa kukojoa. Picha chache huchukuliwa wakati kibofu cha mkojo kikiwa kimejaa kabisa, kisha puto dogo la catheter huondolewa na bomba huondolewa. Mtoaji wa mkojo anapata chombo cha mkojo na kuambiwa kuosha mkojo wakati bado yuko kwenye meza chini ya kamera ya X-ray. Picha kadhaa huchukuliwa wakati kibofu chako cha mkojo kinapoondolewa. Wagonjwa wengi hupata sehemu hii ya mtihani kuwa ya aibu, lakini unaweza kuwa na uhakika kwamba ni sehemu ya kawaida ya mtihani huu wa kawaida, kitu ambacho wataalamu katika maabara hii ya mtihani huona mara kwa mara. Kuna hatari gani kutokana na mtihani huo? Kuna uwezekano mdogo wa kuwa na mmenyuko wa mzio kwa rangi ya mionzi ya X inayotumiwa katika mtihani. Kwa baadhi ya wagonjwa, kuna uchungu wa muda wa mkojo baada ya kuweka bomba, na hii inaweza kusababisha kuchoma wakati wa kukojoa kwa masaa machache baadaye. Mweleze daktari wako ikiwa uchungu au uchungu wa kukojoa unadumu kwa zaidi ya siku moja, hii inaweza kumaanisha kuwa umeambukizwa. Kama ilivyo na miale yote ya X, kuna mfiduo wa kiasi kidogo cha mnururisho. Kiasi cha mnururisho kutoka kwa vipimo vya mionzi ya X ni kidogo sana. Kwa hiyo, ni vigumu kwa watu wazima kuathiriwa na uchunguzi wa miale ya X mara kwa mara. Hata hivyo, kupigwa kwa miale ya X mara kwa mara kwaweza kuongeza hatari ya kupatwa na kansa baadaye maishani. Wanawake wajawazito wanapaswa kuepuka uchunguzi huo kwa sababu miale ya X huelekezwa kwenye utumbo wa mgongo. Je, ni lazima nifanye jambo lolote la pekee baada ya mtihani kumalizika? Ni muda gani kabla ya matokeo ya mtihani kujulikana? X-ray inaweza kuchukua muda wa saa moja au zaidi, na mtaalamu wa radiolojia anaweza kuchukua muda zaidi kuchunguza picha na kuamua kama zinaonekana kawaida. Daktari wako anapaswa kupokea ripoti ndani ya siku chache. Sikuzote wasiliana na mtoa huduma yako ya afya ili kuhakikisha habari iliyoonyeshwa kwenye ukurasa huu inatumika kwa hali yako ya kibinafsi.