How is VUR diagnosed?

The most reliable test for diagnosing VUR in children is called a voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG), a device that uses an X-ray to examine the urinary tract. Your child lies on a table and a hollow tube (catheter) is inserted into the urethra as far as the bladder. The bladder is then filled with a liquid containing an X-ray dye. Then X-rays are taken as the bladder fills and as the child urinates. This test is used to determine the grade of VUR.

The VCUG is a fairly common procedure, but children and their parents often find it unpleasant, particularly the catheter. Some healthcare practitioners medicate children before the procedure so they will not remember the experience afterwards. Some healthcare practitioners use a numbing gel to decrease any discomfort caused by catheterization. Other healthcare practitioners feel medication decreases the accuracy of the test and so they do not medicate.