Reassessing the Use of VCUG in Pediatric UTIs: Are We Overusing an Invasive Diagnostic Tool?
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Design and Setting
2.2. Sample and Data Collection
2.3. Data Analysis
2.4. Ethical Considerations
3. Results
4. Discussion
Limitations
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
VCUG | Voiding cystourethrography |
VUR | Vesicoureteral reflux |
VIF | Variance Inflation Factor (VIF) |
UTI | Urinary tract infections |
AAP | Academy of Pediatrics |
EAU | The European Association of Urology |
DMSA | Dimercaptosuccinic acid |
NICE | The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence |
ceVUS | Contrast-enhanced voiding urosonography |
References
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Pathological Findings on VCUG (n = 101) | Normal Findings on VCUG (n = 96) | Total (N = 197) | χ2 | p | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | |||
Gender $ | 0.016 | 0.900 | |||
Male # | 44 (43.6) | 40 (58.3) | 84 (42.6) | 0.190 | 0.663 |
Female | 57 (56.4) | 56 (41.7) | 113 (57.4) | 0.009 | 0.925 |
Referring specialist $ | 5.578 | 0.018 | |||
Pediatric urologist # | 58 (57.4) | 38 (39.6) | 96 (48.7) | 4.167 | 0.041 |
Pediatric nephrologist | 43 (42.6) | 58 (60.4) | 101 (51.3) | 2.228 | 0.136 |
Clinical indications $ | 37.777 | <0.001 | |||
Follow-up # | 39 (38.6) | 5 (5.2) | 44 (22.3) | 26.273 | 0.000 |
UTIs | 1 (1.0) | 9 (9.4) | 10 (5.1) | 6.400 | 0.011 |
Recurrent UTIs | 35 (34.7) | 43 (44.8) | 78 (39.6) | 0.821 | 0.365 |
Hydronephrosis | 19 (18.8) | 22 (22.9) | 41 (20.8) | 0.220 | 0.639 |
Other | 7 (6.9) | 17 (17.7) | 24 (12.2) | 4.167 | 0.041 |
Pathological Findings on VCUG (n = 62) | Normal Findings on VCUG (n = 91) | Total (N = 153) | χ2 | p | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | |||
Gender $ | 1.709 | 0.185 | |||
Male # | 30 (51.6) | 55 (60.4) | 85 (55.6) | 7.353 | 0.007 |
Female | 32 (48.4) | 36 (39.6) | 68 (44.4) | 0.235 | 0.628 |
Referring specialist $ | 0.004 | 0.865 | |||
Pediatric urologist # | 22 (35.5) | 34 (37.4) | 56 (36.6) | 2.571 | 0.109 |
Pediatric nephrologist | 40 (64.5) | 57 (62.6) | 97 (63.4) | 2.979 | 0.084 |
Clinical indications $ | 6.338 | 0.096 | |||
UTIs # | 1 (1.6) | 9 (9.9) | 10 (5.1) | 6.400 | 0.011 |
Recurrent UTIs | 35 (56.5) | 43 (47.3) | 78 (39.6) | 0.821 | 0.365 |
Hydronephrosis | 19 (30.6) | 22 (24.2) | 41 (20.8) | 0.220 | 0.639 |
Other | 7 (11.3) | 17 (18.7) | 24 (12.2) | 4.167 | 0.041 |
B | Wald | p | OR | 95% C.I. for OR | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lower | Upper | |||||
Gender (Female) | 0.078 | 0.072 | 0.788 | 1.081 | 0614 | 1.902 |
Age | 0.021 | 0.397 | 0.529 | 1.022 | 0.956 | 1.092 |
Referring specialist (Pediatric nephrologist) | 0.772 | 6.203 | 0.013 | 2.059 | 1.166 | 3.634 |
Clinical indication (Recurrent UTIs) | 0.699 | 24.412 | 0.000 | 2.012 | 1.525 | 2.654 |
B | Wald | p | OR | 95% C.I. for OR | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lower | Upper | |||||
Gender (Female) | −0.243 | 0.429 | 0.513 | 0.784 | 0.379 | 1.623 |
Age years months | 0.009 | 0.041 | 0.839 | 1.009 | 0.929 | 1.095 |
Indication (Follow-up) | −2.253 | 18.141 | 0.000 | 0.105 | 0.037 | 0.296 |
Indication (Other) | 1.004 | 4.285 | 0.038 | 2.729 | 1.055 | 7.059 |
Indication (Hydronephrosis) | 0.064 | 0.023 | 0.879 | 1.066 | 0.470 | 2.420 |
Constant | 0.239 | 0.529 | 0.467 | 1.270 |
B | Wald | p | OR | 95% C.I. for OR | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lower | Upper | |||||
Gender (Female) | −0.617 | 2.397 | 0.122 | 0.539 | 0.247 | 1.178 |
Age years months | −0.004 | 0.008 | 0.927 | 0.996 | 0.915 | 1.084 |
Indication (Other) | 1.121 | 5.095 | 0.024 | 3.067 | 1.159 | 8.115 |
Indication (Hydronephrosis) | 0.214 | 0.251 | 0.616 | 1.238 | 0.537 | 2.857 |
Constant | 0.399 | 1.393 | 0.238 | 1.490 |
Guideline | Routine VCUG | Indications for VCUG | Rationale |
---|---|---|---|
AAP | No | Abnormal ultrasound, atypical cases, recurrent UTIs | Avoid unnecessary procedures; most children do not have high-grade VUR |
AUA | No | Similar to AAP | Aligns with AAP approach |
NICE | No | Children < 6 months, atypical/recurrent UTI | Focus on higher-risk patients |
EAU | Yes | Children < 2 years, abnormal ultrasound, atypical/complex cases | Early identification of high-grade VUR to prevent renal scarring |
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Fratrić, I.; Milutinović, D.; Samardžić Lukić, M.; Živković, D. Reassessing the Use of VCUG in Pediatric UTIs: Are We Overusing an Invasive Diagnostic Tool? Healthcare 2025, 13, 1513. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13131513
Fratrić I, Milutinović D, Samardžić Lukić M, Živković D. Reassessing the Use of VCUG in Pediatric UTIs: Are We Overusing an Invasive Diagnostic Tool? Healthcare. 2025; 13(13):1513. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13131513
Chicago/Turabian StyleFratrić, Ivana, Dragana Milutinović, Maja Samardžić Lukić, and Dragana Živković. 2025. "Reassessing the Use of VCUG in Pediatric UTIs: Are We Overusing an Invasive Diagnostic Tool?" Healthcare 13, no. 13: 1513. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13131513
APA StyleFratrić, I., Milutinović, D., Samardžić Lukić, M., & Živković, D. (2025). Reassessing the Use of VCUG in Pediatric UTIs: Are We Overusing an Invasive Diagnostic Tool? Healthcare, 13(13), 1513. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13131513