OBJECTIVE: To describe a technique for measuring gastric emptying in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Gastric emptying time was measured in 14 healthy volunteer children aged between 2 to 11. The children were asked to drink modified milk in proportion of 200 ml/m² of body surface. The antral area was measured before the injection of contrast media and at 60, 90, 120 and 150 minutes after the injection. RESULTS: The diet was well tolerated by most patients. In the majority (85%) of the children total gastric emptying occurred 150 minutes after the ingestion of the solution. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound is a safe and low cost alternative for the assessment of gastric emptying.

Keywords: Ultrasound, Gastric motility, Gastric emptying

OBJECTIVE: To present the results of a series of outpatient renal biopsies performed with a tangential approach, as well as to conduct an analysis focusing on patient safety and the frequency with which sufficient material was obtained.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective observational study examined the pathology results and evolution of 244 patients referred for ultrasound-guided renal biopsy at a single center. In each biopsy, the needle was advanced in the cortex just below the renal capsule. The pathologist examined the fragments, counting the viable glomeruli obtained; additional punctures were performed if necessary, as long as Doppler ultrasound showed no bleeding. The patients remained at rest at the clinic, being discharged after a follow-up ultrasound evaluation and contacted one week later to investigate late adverse events.
RESULTS: Ten patients were excluded from the analysis, leaving a sample of 234 patients. The material obtained for diagnosis was considered sufficient in 95.73% of the procedures, partially adequate in 3.42%, and not very representative in 0.85%. Two patients (0.85%) had bleeding greater than 50 cm³ and were referred to the hospital emergency department. Both of those patients had a favorable evolution: one required only a period at rest, and the other required a blood transfusion, being discharged 48 h after the procedure.
CONCLUSION: The tangential approach to renal biopsy, with its high rates of safety and efficacy, representing a reliable diagnostic tool for renal and systemic diseases, should be the method of choice for obtaining adequate pathological specimens.

Keywords: Image-guided biopsy; Kidney diseases; Ambulatory care; Ultrasonography, interventional.