Name: Podcast 1028: POCUS Before Cath in Pediatric Patients
Description: Emergency Medical Minute · Episode · 2026

Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD

Educational Pearls:

Febrile work-ups in the emergency department require obtaining a urine sample to assess for UTI.

In non-toilet trained children, this often means using catheterization.
Depending on the volume of urine in the bladder, there may not be enough present to get an adequate sample.

Performing a bladder scan before catheterization may be helpful in determining if there is enough urine there in the first place to get a sample.
A recent systematic review and meta-analysis of three randomized control trials found that performing a POCUS prior to catheterization in 337 children aged 36 months and younger led to higher success in obtaining a sample.

The success of getting a sample on the first attempt increased from 72.5% to 89.7%.
The rate of dry taps decreased from 23.9% to 3.6%.

POCUS before catheterization is an easy tool providers can use to ensure an adequate first attempt and reduce unnecessary discomfort for the child.

References:

Vieira da Silva HF, Watanabe ET, Tavares MC, Ramos Bicalho AC, Ferraro LSD, Simões E Silva AC. Point-of-care ultrasound for pediatric urethral catheterization: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Acad Emerg Med. 2026;33(6):e70342. doi:10.1111/acem.70342

Summarized by Ashley Lyons, OMS4 | Edited by Ashley Lyons & Ahmed Abdel-Hafiz, NREMT-P

Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD

Educational Pearls:

Febrile work-ups in the emergency department require obtaining a urine sample to assess for UTI.

In non-toilet trained children, this often means using catheterization.
Depending on the volume of urine in the bladder, there may not be enough present to get an adequate sample.

Performing a bladder scan before catheterization may be helpful in determining if there is enough urine there in the first place to get a sample.
A recent systematic review and meta-analysis of three randomized control trials found that performing a POCUS prior to catheterization in 337 children aged 36 months and younger led to higher success in obtaining a sample.

The success of getting a sample on the first attempt increased from 72.5% to 89.7%.
The rate of dry taps decreased from 23.9% to 3.6%.

POCUS before catheterization is an easy tool providers can use to ensure an adequate first attempt and reduce unnecessary discomfort for the child.

References:

Vieira da Silva HF, Watanabe ET, Tavares MC, Ramos Bicalho AC, Ferraro LSD, Simões E Silva AC. Point-of-care ultrasound for pediatric urethral catheterization: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Acad Emerg Med. 2026;33(6):e70342. doi:10.1111/acem.70342

Summarized by Ashley Lyons, OMS4 | Edited by Ashley Lyons & Ahmed Abdel-Hafiz, NREMT-P

Podcast 1028: POCUS Before Cath in Pedia...