Efficacy of a fast-track pathway for managing uncomplicated renal or ureteral colic in a hospital emergency department: the STONE randomized clinical trial of Sonography and Testing of a Nephrolithiasis Episode.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate a fast-track pathway utilizing point-of-care (POC) testing and sonography as soon as uncomplicated renal or ureteral colic is suspected and to compare the POC clinical pathway to a standard one.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Unblinded randomized controlled clinical trial in a hospital emergency department (ED). We enrolled patients with suspected uncomplicated renal or ureteral colic and randomized them to a POC or standard pathway (1:1 ratio). Duration of ED stay, treatments, the proportion of diagnoses other than uncomplicated colic, and 30-day complications were analyzed.

RESULTS

One hundred forty patients were recruited between November 2018 and October 2019; data for 124 were analyzed. The mean (SD) total time in the ED was 112 (45) minutes in the POC arm and 244 (102) in the standard arm (P .001). Treatments, alternative diagnoses, and complication rates did not differ.

CONCLUSION

The use of a fast-track POC pathway to manage uncomplicated colic in the ED is effective and safe. It also reduces the amount of time spent in the ED.