Biochemical profiles of stone-forming patients: a guide to treatment.

A formal protocol, controlled metabolic evaluation is essential to the most effective treatment of any patient with renal calculi, regardless of the crystalline composition of the stone. The design of the protocol and of the data sheets should be compatible with ease of diagnosis and selection of corrective therapeutic measures. These data also serve as a reference to monitor response to treatment. Treatment is highly individualized with the objective to reduce all potentially crystallizable ions to basal levels. If this is difficult to accomplish certain ratios of ions are brought to as near normal values as possible.