Percutaneous nephrostomy in children and adolescents: Outpatient management

PURPOSE: To determine if percutaneous nephrostomy can be performed safely a s an outpatient procedure in children and adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Percutaneous nephrostomy was performed in 102 kidney s in 87 patients at 93 separate encounters. Patients were excluded from out patient treatment if they presented with signs of infection, were hospitali zed for other reasons, were undergoing additional endourologic stone proced ures, had solitary kidneys or poor renal function, had social problems prec luding outpatient care, or had a procedural complication. Follow-up was per formed by means of direct communication and/or chart review. RESULTS: Successful outpatient percutaneous nephrostomy was performed in 39 (42%) of the 93 encounters. Reasons for exclusion included infection (n = 23), concomitant problems requiring hospitalization (n = 11), stone therapy (n = 7), solitary kidney with renal failure (n = 3), and social reasons (n = 10). No procedure-related complication occurred. No patient required rea dmission within 3 weeks for a tube- or procedure-related problem. CONCLUSION: Outpatient percutaneous nephrostomy can be safely performed in a selected group of patients.