Accuracy of emergency radiological tools in guiding renal stones surgical treatment

Abstract EN

Objectives: Ultrasonography is becoming the first imaging option in emergency rooms for detecting renal stones to decrease the costs and the radiological exposure of computed tomography.

This study will aim to reinforce this role.

Methods: A collected data from (1014) files of patients who were diagnosed by either Ultrasonography or computed tomography in the emergency room of King Hussein Hospital between (September 2014 and July 2017) as a case of Urolithiasis, was used in our retrospective study.

Patients were classified into three groups according to the modality used (emergency US, elective US, CT) to show the effect of initial emergency room radiological modalities on initial or subsequent urologists, evaluation of these patients, the treatment choices and timing of procedures.

Results: 841 (83%) patients out of 1014 patients underwent consultations in our urology clinics at Prince Hussein urology institute, while 132 (13%) were evaluated by a urologist in the emergency room, 41 (4%) patients were discharged without follow-up and 233 (23%) underwent urological procedures.

The timing and type of operations did not differ significantly when Ultrasonography was an initial modality.

Still a significant number of patients had a CT to confirm the diagnosis that was reached by Ultrasonography prior to any management either conservative or surgical.

Conclusion: Ultrasonography is a reliable initial study in the emergency department to diagnose Urolithiasis with a significant accuracy, and it does not delay the urological intervention or alter its type significantly; also the evaluation of patients by urologists was not influenced.

But computerized tomography before surgery is essential.