Call to improve kidney stone care

Thursday July 19th, 2018

The UK NHS should offer non-invasive treatments for kidney stones faster to help relieve severe pain, according to new guidelines.

This should include offering shockwave lithotripsy to eligible patients within 48 hours of medical assessment, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

It calls for investment in the treatments, arguing this will help avoid invasive procedures. This might include more equipment, mobile machines and better organised referral systems, it says.

The new guidelines say that patients with severe abdominal pain suspected of resulting from renal stones should get a CT scan within 24 hours.

Urologist Andrew Dickinson, from Plymouth, said waiting times for surgery were increasing because of an increase in the number of these procedures.

He said: “The use of shockwave lithotripsy is definitely a less traumatic experience for the patient. There are fewer problems afterwards and it reduces the amount of time patients have to wait to have the issue resolved.”

Professor Mark Baker, from NICE, said: “The incidence of renal and ureteric stones and the rate of intervention are increasing. These NICE guidelines will help both patients and clinicians make more informed decisions about treatment options.”

Tags: Internal Medicine | Pain Relief | UK News

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