Hans George Pohl

Hans George Pohl

  • Professor of Urology
  • Professor of Pediatrics (Secondary)
  Email Hans George Pohl
  202-741-3100
Department: Urology
Education
BA, University of California, San Diego, 1988
MD, George Washington Medical School, 1992
Biography

As a resident my mentors, A. Barry Belman, M.D. and H. Gil Rushton, M.D. – who are now my colleagues in Pediatric Urology at Children’s National – stimulated me to refine my understanding of the reasons why we recommend surgical reconstruction for some infants and children with urological disorders.  Urinary tract infections and urinary tract obstruction can individually and in combination result in loss of kidney function and are the two classic indications for urinary tract reconstruction. Urinary infection is particularly intriguing since it represents a heterogenous disease whereby children are affected to vastly varying degrees, some may have such significant renal inflammation as to result in significant renal scarring. Despite clinical and experimental research dating back to the 1970’s, we still don’t understand what factors interplay to mediate an individual’s risk for UTI, renal inflammation or renal scarring.  Through an increased understanding of these risk factors, we anticipate being able to generate personalized diagnostic and therapeutic  algorithms that might reduce our reliance on surgical reconstruction to prevent loss of renal function.

Additional Education

  • George Washington University Hospital Residency 1998 Urology
  • NIDDK/NIH Intramural Research Fellow 2000 Renal Physiology
  • Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA Fellowship 2002 Pediatric Urology

Research

UTI associated renal scarring

UTIs affect 2.6% to 3.4% of children in the US annually, and account for more than 1 million office visits, 94,000 hospital outpatient visits, and ~40,000 admissions each year The economic burden for UTI hospitalizations alone totals $180 million. Both bacteria and human host factors participate in the pathogenesis of urinary tract infection. These interactions rely on protein-protein interactions that facilitate bacterial adherence to the urinary tract, bacterial invasion into uroepithelial cells, stimulate inflammation and ultimately tissue repair pathways. Currently, we are participating in multi-institutional clinical trials that seek to refine our understanding of the contemporary incidence of recurrent UTIs and renal scarring in infants and children who presented with UTI and who do or do not have an associate urological abnormality termed, vesicoureteral reflux.  In addition to the clinical information provided by these trials, serum and genetic specimens are being obtained that will become the basis for future studies aimed at understanding the genetic differences dictating these incidences.

View PubMed Publications

Grants

  • Microbiome of the Urinary Tract of Healthy Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury, NIH NCMRR/NINDS 2R24HD050846-06 (NCMRR-DC Core for Molecular and Functional Outcome Measures in Rehabilitation Medicine, PI Hoffman), Co-Investigator 2012-2014 
  • Biomarkers to Detect Urinary Tract Infection, (under Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, PI Dr. Nader Shaikh), $73,900 Investigator 2012 
  • Steroids to Actively Reduce Renal Scarring in Children (STARRS), (under Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, PI Dr. Nader Shaikh), $616,000, Co-Investigator 2012 
  • Careful Urinary Tract Infection Evaluation, (RO1DK078045-01A1), National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases/National Institute of Health, Co-Investigator, 10% FTE 2008-2014 
  • Expression Profiling in Acute Experimental Pyelonephitis,Children’s National Medical Center/Board of Visitors $10,000, PI, 70% FTE 2006 
  • Expression Profiling in Acute Experimental Pyelonephritis Children’s National Medical Center/Research Advisory Council Grant, $35,000, PI, 70% FTE 2004, 2005 
  • Expression Profiling in Renal Cortical Scarring, Children’s National Medical Center, Avery Scholars Award $100,000.00, PI, 70% effort 2002-2005 
  • Quality of Life Assessment in Adolescents and Young Adults with Spina Bifida, Christopher Reeve Paralysis Found ation, $9,000, PI, 10% FTE 2004 
  • Quality of Life Assessment in Adolescents and Young Adults with Spina Bifida, Christopher Reeve Paralysis Found ation, $25,000, PI, 10% FTE
  • Pfizer Scholars Award, 1998
  • George Washington University, Department of Urology, Teaching Excellence Award, 2008
  • Washingtonian Magazine, Top Doctors, 2008-2015
  • Academic Keys, Who’s Who in Academia, Urology, 2008
  • Northern Virginia Magazine, Top Doctors, 2009-2015
  • Best Doctors in America, 2009-2012
  • Guide to America’s Top Urologists, 2009, 2011
  • George Washington University, Department of Urology, Teaching Excellence Award, 2013
Publications

Selected from Peer Reviewed (24)

  1. Shaikh N, Hoberman A, Keren R, Gotman N, Docimo SG, Mathews R, Bhatnagar S,
    Ivanova A, Mattoo TK, Moxey-Mims M, Carpenter MA, Pohl HG, Greenfield S.
    Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections in Children With Bladder and Bowel
    Dysfunction. Pediatrics. 2015 Dec 8. pii: peds.2015-2982. [Epub ahead of print]
    PubMed PMID: 26647376.
  2. Lee NG, Marchalik D, Lipsky A, Rushton HG, Pohl HG, Song X. Risk Factors for
    Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections in a Pediatric Institution. J Urol.
    2015 Apr 6. pii: S0022-5347(15)03696-4. doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2015.03.121. [Epub
    ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 25858421.
  3. Martin AD, Gupta K, Swords KA, Belman AB, Majd M, Rushton HG, Pohl HG. The
    "flowerpot" sign: inference of poor renal function in high grade vesicoureteral
    reflux by calyceal orientation. J Pediatr Urol. 2015 Feb;11(1):31.e1-4. doi:
    10.1016/j.jpurol.2014.07.014. Epub 2014 Oct 2. PubMed PMID: 25459389.
  4. RIVUR Trial Investigators, Hoberman A, Greenfield SP, Mattoo TK, Keren R,
    Mathews R, Pohl HG, Kropp BP, Skoog SJ, Nelson CP, Moxey-Mims M, Chesney RW,
    Carpenter MA. Antimicrobial prophylaxis for children with vesicoureteral reflux.
    N Engl J Med. 2014 Jun 19;370(25):2367-76. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1401811. Epub 2014
    May 4. PubMed PMID: 24795142; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4137319.
  5. Lee NG, Rushton HG, Peters CA, Groves DS, Pohl HG. Evaluation of prenatal
    hydronephrosis: novel criteria for predicting vesicoureteral reflux on
    ultrasonography. J Urol. 2014 Sep;192(3):914-8. doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2014.03.100.
    Epub 2014 Apr 1. PubMed PMID: 24704010.
  6. Martin AD, Iqbal MW, Sprague BM, Diaz M, Rushton HG, Peters CA, Majd M, Pohl
    HG. Most infants with dilating vesicoureteral reflux can be treated
    nonoperatively. J Urol. 2014 May;191(5 Suppl):1620-6. doi:
    10.1016/j.juro.2013.08.078. Epub 2014 Mar 26. PubMed PMID: 24679886.
  7. Hoberman A, Shaikh N, Bhatnagar S, Haralam MA, Kearney DH, Colborn DK,
    Kienholz ML, Wang L, Bunker CH, Keren R, Carpenter MA, Greenfield SP, Pohl HG,
    Mathews R, Moxey-Mims M, Chesney RW. Factors that influence parental decisions to
    participate in clinical research: consenters vs nonconsenters. JAMA Pediatr. 2013
    Jun;167(6):561-6. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.1050. PubMed PMID: 23546617;
    PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3674159.
  8. Sparks S, Viteri B, Sprague BM, Rushton HG, Pohl HG, Majd M. Evaluation of
    differential renal function and renographic patterns in patients with dietl
    crisis. J Urol. 2013 Feb;189(2):684-9. doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2012.09.051. Epub 2012
    Oct 8. PubMed PMID: 22986032.
  9. Krill AJ, Pohl HG, Belman AB, Skoog SJ, Snodgrass WT, Rushton HG. Parental
    preferences in the management of vesicoureteral reflux. J Urol. 2011
    Nov;186(5):2040-4. doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2011.07.023. Epub 2011 Sep 23. PubMed
    PMID: 21944107.
  10. Ross SS, Kardos S, Krill A, Bourland J, Sprague B, Majd M, Pohl HG, Gibbons
    MD, Belman AB, Rushton HG. Observation of infants with SFU grades 3-4
    hydronephrosis: worsening drainage with serial diuresis renography indicates
    surgical intervention and helps prevent loss of renal function. J Pediatr Urol.
    2011 Jun;7(3):266-71. doi: 10.1016/j.jpurol.2011.03.001. Epub 2011 Apr 27. PubMed
    PMID: 21527234.
  11. Skoog SJ, Peters CA, Arant BS Jr, Copp HL, Elder JS, Hudson RG, Khoury AE,
    Lorenzo AJ, Pohl HG, Shapiro E, Snodgrass WT, Diaz M. Pediatric Vesicoureteral
    Reflux Guidelines Panel Summary Report: Clinical Practice Guidelines for
    Screening Siblings of Children With Vesicoureteral Reflux and Neonates/Infants
    With Prenatal Hydronephrosis. J Urol. 2010 Sep;184(3):1145-51. doi:
    10.1016/j.juro.2010.05.066. Epub 2010 Jul 21. Review. Erratum in: J Urol. 2011
    Jan;185(1):365. PubMed PMID: 20650494.
  12. Pohl HG. PIC cystography: a selective approach to the diagnosis of
    vesicoureteral reflux. J Urol. 2009 Oct;182(4):1263-4. doi:
    10.1016/j.juro.2009.07.075. Epub 2009 Aug 14. PubMed PMID: 19683282.
  13. Pohl HG, Belman AB. The "top-down" approach to the evaluation of children
    with febrile urinary tract infection. Adv Urol. 2009:783409. doi:
    10.1155/2009/783409. Epub 2009 Mar 30. PubMed PMID: 19343189; PubMed Central
    PMCID: PMC2662435.
  14. Faust WC, Diaz M, Pohl HG. Incidence of post-pyelonephritic renal scarring: a
    meta-analysis of the dimercapto-succinic acid literature. J Urol. 2009
    Jan;181(1):290-7; discussion 297-8. doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2008.09.039. Epub 2008
    Nov 14. PubMed PMID: 19013606.
  15. Sedberry-Ross S, Rice DC, Pohl HG, Belman AB, Majd M, Rushton HG. Febrile
    urinary tract infections in children with an early negative voiding
    cystourethrogram after treatment of vesicoureteral reflux with
    dextranomer/hyaluronic acid. J Urol. 2008 Oct;180(4 Suppl):1605-9; discussion
    1610. doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2008.04.071. Epub 2008 Aug 16. PubMed PMID: 18710762.
  16. Faust WC, Pohl HG. Role of prophylaxis in vesicoureteral reflux. Curr Opin
    Urol. 2007 Jul;17(4):252-6. Review. PubMed PMID: 17558268.
  17. Pohl HG, Joyce GF, Wise M, Cilento BG Jr. Vesicoureteral reflux and
    ureteroceles. J Urol. 2007 May;177(5):1659-66. PubMed PMID: 17437779.
  18. Pohl HG, Joyce GF, Wise M, Cilento BG Jr. Cryptorchidism and hypospadias. J
    Urol. 2007 May;177(5):1646-51. PubMed PMID: 17437777.
  19. Han MY, Gibbons MD, Belman AB, Pohl HG, Majd M, Rushton HG. Indications for
    nonoperative management of ureteroceles. J Urol. 2005 Oct;174(4 Pt 2):1652-5;
    discussion 1655-6. PubMed PMID: 16148674.
  20. Pohl HG, Bauer SB, Borer JG, Diamond DA, Kelly MD, Grant R, Briscoe CJ,
    Doonan G, Retik AB. The outcome of voiding dysfunction managed with clean
    intermittent catheterization in neurologically and anatomically normal children.
    BJU Int. 2002 Jun;89(9):923-7. PubMed PMID: 12010241.
  21. Ogan K, Pohl HG, Carlson D, Belman AB, Rushton HG. Parental preferences in
    the management of vesicoureteral reflux. J Urol. 2001 Jul;166(1):240-3. PubMed
    PMID: 11435878.
  22. Pohl HG, Rushton HG, Park JS, Belman AB, Majd M. Early diuresis renogram
    findings predict success following pyeloplasty. J Urol. 2001 Jun;165(6 Pt
    2):2311-5. PubMed PMID: 11371969.
  23. Majd M, Nussbaum Blask AR, Markle BM, Shalaby-Rana E, Pohl HG, Park JS,
    Chandra R, Rais-Bahrami K, Pandya N, Patel KM, Rushton HG. Acute pyelonephritis:
    comparison of diagnosis with 99mTc-DMSA, SPECT, spiral CT, MR imaging, and power
    Doppler US in an experimental pig model. Radiology. 2001 Jan;218(1):101-8. PubMed
    PMID: 11152787.
  24. Pohl HG, Rushton HG, Park JS, Chandra R, Majd M. Adjunctive oral
    corticosteroids reduce renal scarring: the piglet model of reflux and acute
    experimental pyelonephritis. J Urol. 1999 Sep;162(3 Pt 1):815-20. PubMed PMID:
    10458387.

Industry Relationships and Collaborations

This faculty member (or a member of their immediate family) has reported a financial interest with the health care related companies listed below. These relations have been reported to the University and, when appropriate, management plans are in place to address potential conflicts.

None