Emergency Department Visits and Hospital Admissions for Kidney Stone Disease, 2009

Excerpt

Kidney stone disease is frequently treated in the emergency department (ED) due to the pain associated with the condition. Most commonly, patients experience severe flank and lower back pain which may radiate down to the groin. Additional symptoms may include blood in the urine (hematuria), nausea and vomiting.

The decision on how to treat kidney stone disease depends on the severity and location of the stone(s)., Small stones, several millimeters in size, often pass without intervention and are often treated with pain medication and observation. Conversely, large stones or those causing significant side effects such as infection, renal (kidney) failure or severe pain require surgical intervention.

The purpose of this Statistical Brief is to analyze ED visits and hospital admissions related to kidney stone disease and to further characterize the frequency of visits to the ED and hospital over time.