Sedation and the VCUG

“A voiding cystourethrogram is frequently a stressful procedure for pediatric patients, parents, and occasionally the radiology staff. I believe most radiologists would agree with that statement but if doubt exists, there is research that supports it.”

“I was taught during residency and fellowship that the patient needs to be conscious for voiding and that the procedure is not painful. I believed it. I took pride in my ability to calmly wait and offer reassurance to parents that though their child was crying and screaming, the child was not really in pain and that it would be over in a few minutes. Sometimes, those minutes seemed like forever to everyone in the room.”

“I see fear and anxiety daily when performing VCUGs. In addition, the memory of previous painful experiences has effects on pain experience during subsequent procedures.”

“I am offering sedation to more and more patients for VCUG and their parents seem grateful. This is because of increasing knowledge that patient distress is real and can affect future medical procedures.”

“Recent research in the area of pain medicine has revealed that high-anxiety and low-pain procedures such as a VCUG cause true distress to patients that can last beyond the time of this procedure.”