For this reason, when a child is found to have a urinary infection, additional tests are often recommended. The kinds of tests ordered will depend on your child and the type of urinary infection. A test that examines the urethra and bladder while the bladder fills and empties using a special liquid and x-rays to show abnormalities of the inside of the urethra and bladder. A test that examines the whole urinary tract using a liquid that can be seen on x-rays to show possible obstructions. A number of tests using radioactive materials that are usually injected into a vein to show how well the kidneys work, the shape of the kidneys, and whether urine empties from the kidneys in a normal way.
Nuclear scans expose a child to the same amount of radiation as a conventional x-ray.
The kidneys filter and remove waste and water from the blood to produce urine. The urine travels from the kidneys down two narrow tubes called the ureters. The urine is stored in a balloon-like container called the bladder. When the bladder empties, urine flows out of the body through the urethra, a tube at the bottom of the bladder. Symptoms of urinary tract infection are not always obvious to parents, and children may be unable to describe how they feel.