title: Nifedipine for the relief of renal colic: a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
abstract: Pain from ureteral stones is believed to be due to spasm and hyper-peristalsis of the involved ureter. Nifedipine has been shown to decrease human ureteral spasm in vitro. Conflicting results have been reported concerning the clinical efficacy of nifedipine in relieving acute renal colic. This prospective, double-blind, crossover clinical trial evaluated the acute pain relief obtained in 30 patients who had ureteral stones. All patients had ureteral stones documented either by plain abdominal radiograph (six), intravenous pyelogram (16), or passage of the stone(s) in the urine (eight). Each patient served as his own control. The mean pain relief scores for placebo versus 10 to 20 mg oral nifedipine were 0.7 +/- 1.8 and 1.2 +/- 2.5, respectively, as measured on a visual analogue scale (P = .404). Seven patients received clinically significant relief associated with nifedipine, and three patients received relief from placebo (P = .300). Twenty patients (66%) did not experience clinically significant relief from either treatment. We conclude that nifedipine does not differ significantly from placebo in providing relief from acute renal colic.
authors.affiliation: Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Caravati
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Runge
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Bossart
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hartsell
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Williamson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003085:Colic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014514:Ureteral Calculi / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D009543:Nifedipine