A kidney stone is a concentration of material formed in the kidneys from minerals in the urine. They typically leave the body by passage in the urine stream, and many stones are formed and passed without causing symptoms. If the stone becomes large enough it can block the ureter, causing pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, blood in the urine, pus in the urine, and painful urination. They are one of the most common problems of the urinary system and affect up to 12% of the American population.

A new study underscores the importance of prompt attention and treatment of patients presenting with kidney stones. You can read about it here:

[IMPACT OF DELAYING TREATMENT FOR KIDNEY STONES](https://www.auanet.org/advnews/press_releases/article.cfm?articleNo=413)

Treatment may include nonsurgical measures to encourage passing of the stone, use of concentrated ultrasounds to fragment the stone, or if necessary, surgery.

Surgery has become more common in the United States as prevalence of kidney stones has increased. More than one million Americans are expected to be diagnosed with kidney stones this year, and kidney stones are responsible for two million healthcare provider and 600,000 emergency room visits.

In the study, researchers looked at people who had surgery for kidney stones over two years. A longer time between diagnosis and surgery was associated with a higher rate of complications, and greater use of medical imaging tests and antibiotics.

The median time from diagnosis to surgery was 79 days, the study found. Patients who had surgery more than 45 days after diagnosis were about 15 times more likely to have an unplanned clinic visit, more than 3 times more likely to have an emergency room visit, 6 times more likely to have additional medical imaging tests, and about 5 times more likely to require antibiotics compared to those who had surgery sooner.

In the study population, between the time of diagnosis and the time of surgery, 54% of patients had unplanned emergency department or clinic visits, including 11% of the study population who required hospitalization.

Highlighting the impact, both in regards to economic cost and patient complications, may lead to a more rigorous standard of care entailing rapid treatment of diagnosed kidney stones. Setting a standard for prompt treatment could substantially decrease the complications and risks for affected patients.

The doctor presenting the study stated, “[t]hese data underscore the importance of prompt attention and treatment of patients presenting with kidney stones…Delays in treatment not only complicates cases, but impacts the quality of patient care and boosts healthcare costs.”