Abstract: The Accuracy of Portable Ultrasound Scanning in the Measurement of Residual Urine Volume

Graham M. Coombes and Richard J. Millard. "The Accuracy of Portable Ultrasound Scanning in the Measurement of Residual Urine Volume." Journal of Urology 152 (December 1994): 2083-85.

Objectives:
* To assess the accuracy of portable ultrasound for measuring residual urine volume.

Methods:
* Ultrasound measurements of residual bladder volume were performed on a group of 100 patients using the BladderScan^® BVI 2500 or BVI 2500+. Ultrasound measurements were then compared to post-scan volumes obtained by catheterization and fluoroscopic screening.

Results:
* The mean difference between catheter volume estimate and true bladder volume was 25 ml. There was no significant difference between the accuracy of the BVI 2500+ and the catheter estimate of true bladder volume (p > 0.05).

Conclusions:
* The authors recommend BladderScan use as an alternative to catheterization for the determination of residual urine volume: "The overall accuracy [of the BladderScan] is as good as a catheter estimation of residual urine volume. It is noninvasive and, thus, the gold standard of residual catheterization can now be challenged."

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