Abstract: Pediatric Application of the Bladder Volume Instrument

Madlyn Murray, RN, BSN. "Pediatric Application of the Bladder Volume Instrument." Journal of Pediatric Nursing 5 (August 1990) 4: 290-91.

Objectives:
* The author discusses the benefits of ultrasound assessment of bladder volume in children, and describes the applications of the BVI 2000 at Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Seattle, WA.

Conclusions:
* "With this instrument [the BVI 2000], little cooperation from the child is required and bladder volume determination is a simple procedure to perform."
* "Children with spinal cord injury, myelodysplasia, neurogenic bladder, and recurrent urinary tract infections are all candidates for bladder assessment with the BVI 2000."
* The BVI can be used in hospitals and clinics as well as in long-term care facilities and home therapy.
* The BVI "decreases time spent obtaining supplies, preparing a patient, and restraining a traumatized child for catheterization."
* The use of the BVI by nursing researchers may help in the investigation of voiding disorders among children, generating more successful strategies for treatment.

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