Published in

MDPI, Healthcare, 21(11), p. 2899, 2023

DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11212899

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Follow-Up for Acute Pyelonephritis Patients

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

Full text: Download

Green circle
Preprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Postprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Published version: archiving allowed
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is increasingly used in clinical practice as the first diagnostic method in patients with suspected pyelonephritis rather than abdominal CT with contrast medium, especially in young subjects. We performed a retrospective analysis on patients in for whom a CEUS examination was utilized as a follow-up method after acute pyelonephritis as normal clinical practice. Through evaluating all patients, in terms duration between CEUS examination and normalization (healing) of the renal disease, we found that the mean duration is 25.9 days. Our ultrasound findings did not induce any therapeutic modifications, not even in the cases in which the examination was repeated several times. Therefore, setting up a CEUS follow-up examination after 25 days from the first diagnosis can reduce the number of repeated tests, benefitting patients and the healthcare system in terms of reducing costs.