Genitourinary imaging and procedures by the emergency physician

Optimal imaging of the urinary tract in the Emergency Department does not require sophisticated or rare equipment. The supervising physician must review each ExU, cystogram, or RUG film as it becomes available and decide upon the proper course of action. Indications for contrast studies in injured patients continue to evolve, with a trend away from investigation of stable patients with microscopic hematuria on the first urine. Urethral catheterization and suprapubic cystostomy are complementary options for bladder drainage. Careful attention to details of anatomy and technique allow for success in the majority of patients. There are substantial pitfalls in the diagnosis and treatment of male genital emergencies. The acute treatment of priapism is rapidly changing as understanding of penile physiology becomes more complete. Acute scrotal pathology can be difficult to categorize without surgical exploration. Urologic consultation, therefore, is mandatory in these conditions.