Having an Intravenous Urogram Examination

Transcription

1 Having an Intravenous Urogram Examination Exceptional healthcare, personally delivered

2 Welcome to North Bristol NHS Trust North Bristol NHS Trust is the largest hospital trust in the South West of England, providing hospital and community healthcare to the residents of Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset. We are also a specialist regional centre for a number of services including neurosurgery, renal (kidney) medicine, plastics, burns, orthopaedics and major trauma. We value patient feedback and 91 per cent of our in-patients rate the care they receive from us as good or excellent and 92 per cent would recommend our services to their friends and family. We provide award-winning services and receive a significant number of referrals from other hospital trusts. We treat 300,000 patients a year, including 6,300 births, and yet our intent is that each patient is treated with respect and dignity and, most important of all, as a person. We aim to provide Exceptional healthcare personally delivered by providing services of exemplary quality, ensuring no unnecessary waits or delays, providing care in high quality facilities and having well trained and caring staff. Quality safe care We have internationally renowned medical teams focused on delivering excellent results for our patients through the hard work and dedication of our 10,000 doctors, nurses, healthcare professionals and support staff. We want to make sure that during your stay with us you feel welcomed, relaxed and confident in the care you are receiving. All our healthcare teams care about the quality of the service provided to you, from the moment you walk through the door to helping you through to the day of your discharge. Patient and visitor safety is at the forefront of delivering exceptional healthcare, not only the focus on safe medical procedures, cleanliness and infection control but also personal safety whilst visiting us. We have ensured a rigorous cleaning regime with the vast majority of patients telling us they were happy with how clean our facilities are. To protect your privacy and dignity we meet all the Department of Health s criteria for providing inpatient beds in single sex areas and we have instigated protected visiting hours to ensure patients get their full rest and recuperation. We are currently the only NHS Trust in England to hold 2 Having an Intravenous Urogram

3 a silver Food for Life accreditation from the Soil Association with freshly prepared and locally sourced food catering for all medical, dietary, religious and cultural needs. We work with our patients and their representatives to ensure we focus on the things that matter to our patients the delivery of quality care and excellent patient safety. Fast access to care Our aim is to provide good access to appointment times and provide swift care during your stay in hospital, including seeing, treating and discharging or admitting 95% of patients within 4 hours of arrival at our Emergency Department (A&E) and Minor Injuries Units. We re building strong links with GPs and local community social service and healthcare teams to ensure a smooth transfer of care into hospital and for when patients return to their home or place of care. Our aim is to exceed all the Department of Health s priorities, with patients receiving treatment within 18 weeks of referral, all patients with suspected cancer seeing a consultant within two weeks and nearly all patients arriving at our Emergency Department being discharged or admitted within four hours of arrival. Excellent facilities On 28 May 2014 we will have completed the redevelopment of the new Brunel building at Southmead Hospital Bristol. We will be bringing together our hospital teams based at Frenchay, including the Emergency (A&E) Department, and Southmead on one site who will provide the very best of healthcare in facilities our patients deserve. The Brunel building will include 800 beds, of which 75 per cent of beds will be in single rooms with en-suite toilet and shower rooms. Also located on the Southmead Hospital Bristol site are our maternity and neonatal intensive care units, women s health, pathology, the new Bristol Breast Care Centre and our Trust-wide research teams. In addition, we also offer services closer to home at the redeveloped Cossham Hospital in Kingswood and the Westgate Centre in Yate. These include outpatient and therapy appointments as well as the new midwifery-led birthing centre and dialysis satellite unit at Cossham Hospital. For further details of the new developments at Southmead Hospital Bristol, please visit Having an Intravenous Urogram 3

4 Introduction You re Hospital Specialist /GP has requested you have an Intravenous Urogram (IVU) examination. It is sometimes referred to as an IVP (Intravenous Pyelogram). You may already have had other tests done, such as an ultrasound, but it is felt that in your case the best way of obtaining the amount of detail required is with an IVU We hope this information will answer some of the questions that you may have about the examination. What is an IVU? An IVU is a radiological examination of the urinary system. An injection of a special dye called contrast medium into a vein in the arm makes the kidneys, bladder & ureters (the connecting tubes between the kidney & bladder) show up better than on ordinary plain x-rays. There is grater detail of their internal structures. It is also possible to assess roughly how well each kidney is working. What must I do in preparation? You can continue to eat and drink normally. Can I bring a Friend? Yes, but for reasons of safety, only in special circumstances or if the patient is a small child, would anyone else be permitted inside the X-ray room. What happens when I arrive? When you arrive at the x-ray department you will need to register with the receptionist who will confirm your personal details & inform the radiographer of your arrival. Please remember to notify staff off any changes to your details at this time. If there is a delay in calling you through after your appointment time it is often due to the previous examination over running. Please bear with us, you will not have been forgotten. 4 Having an Intravenous Urogram

5 You will be asked to empty your bladder before starting the examination. You will then be shown to a cubicle & asked to undress in private and put on a gown. If you need assistance please ask. Please remove body jewellery such as belly button piercings as it will appear on the films. You will then be shown into the x-ray room and asked to lie on the examination table. What is involved? After initial pictures are taken you will be given the injection of dye (contrast medium) usually into a vein in your arm near to the elbow. The contrast agent enters the kidneys through the blood stream. The contrast agent is colourless. It may make you feel warm all over, with a metallic taste to your mouth. Some patients experience a sensation of wanting to pass urine, but these feelings vary between individuals and may not be noticed at all. If you are asthmatic please can you bring your inhaler with you. A series of pictures are then taken at intervals decided by the Radiologist (X -ray Doctor). When each x-ray is taken you will be asked to hold your breath. At some point a compression device may be used. This involves a tight band being placed across your tummy, which for a short time may be uncomfortable. This will greatly improve the information we can gain from this examination. To complete the examination you will probably be asked to empty your bladder before the final picture is taken. Once the radiologist is satisfied that enough pictures have been taken you will be shown to your cubicle so that you may dress and leave the department. The examination will last for about 45 minutes. Having an Intravenous Urogram 5

6 What are the risks? An IVU is an x-ray examination but with modern X-ray equipment the radiation dose is kept as low as possible. We can assure you that all safeguards to minimise radiation are taken. However if there is any possibility that you may be pregnant please inform the X-ray department before you attend for your appointment. There is also a small risk of an allergic reaction to the contrast medium but the radiographer identifies patients who are most at risk. You will be asked a series of questions to determine the level of risk and if necessary a different contrast medium may be used. If the level of risk is too high then the IVU may be abandoned. It is extremely rare for this to happen and the referring doctor will have already considered these risks against the benefit of the test. Are there any after effects? No after effects should be experienced and we will make sure you are feeling all right before you leave the department. You may eat and drink as normal once the examination in completed. Can I continue with my tablets? Yes, medication should be continued as normal Patients using Heparin or Warfarin. Please inform the radiographer so extra care can be taken when removing the injection needle. How will I get my results? The results will be forwarded to the referring doctor who should receive the radiologist report within 10 working days. Any appointment already made to discuss the results with your doctor should be kept. 6 Having an Intravenous Urogram

7 If you have any Questions? Please do not hesitate to ask questions either before or after your scan. Contact details can be found on your appointment letter. References Information within this leaflet is based on the following RCR publication. Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) 2001 Information for Patients Having an Intravenous Pyelogram IVP or Intravenous Urogram - IVU. Available from - Accessed June National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) 2001 X-rays How safe are they? Available from - June NHS Constitution. Information on your rights and responsibilities. Available at Having an Intravenous Urogram 7

8 How to contact us: See your appointment letter for the number to phone with any queries you may have If you or the individual you are caring for need support reading this leaflet please ask a member of staff for advice. North Bristol NHS Trust. This edition published May Review due May NBT002265