The value of combined urinalysis and abdominal ultrasound in diagnosing renal colic in aqaba region

الملخص EN

Objective: To assess the yield of both urinalysis and abdominal ultrasound in diagnosing renal colic and abdominal pain at Princess Haya Hospital in Aqaba.

Methods: Two hundred and eighty one successive patients presented to the emergency room at Princess Haya Hospital between November 1997-May 1998 with abdominal pain and flank pain mimicking renal colic.

All patients gave complete medical history, and underwent physical examination and urine analysis investigation for pyuria, hematuria and/or crystaluria.

Then they had abdominal ultrasound and 17 patients had plain abdominal radiograph.

Urine analysis, abdominal ultrasound were evaluated using 2x2 contingency table for sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values.

{Mean age (±SD) was found to be 33.2±11.66 years; (range 15-60).

Male: Female ratio was (1.4:1)}.

Results: There were 24 (8.%) abnormal urinalysis (pyurea, hematuria) and 74 (26.3%) abnormal abdominal U/S 69 (24.5%) cases were related to urinary tract and prostate).

Nephrolithiasis dominated the ultrasonic findings (44.9%) followed by hydronephrosis (33.3%5), small kidneys in 5.8%, prostate pathology, 4.3%, double kidneys, nephrectomy and renal cyst in 2.9% each.

Adult polycystic kidney disease and horseshoe kidneys constituted (1.5%).

Non-renal ultrasonic findings included gall bladder stones found in two patients, epigastric mass, intrapelvic mass in one female and hepatosplenomegaly in one patient.

Combined urine analysis and ultrasound had a sensitivity of 12% (95% CI: 4-19) and specificity of 92% (95% CI: 89- 96).

Positive predictive value was 33% (95% CI: 14-52).

While combined ultrasound and kidney, urinary bladder had a sensitivity of 83% (95% CI: 62-104) and a specificity of 60% (95% CI: 17-103).

The predictive value for positive results was 83% (95% CI: 62-104) and the predictive value for negative results was 60% (95% CI: 17-103).