When renal colic is really malingering.
Renal colic malingerers feign symptoms of pain and hematuria, usually to obtain parenteral narcotics. These patients must be identified early to minimize waste of time and supplies by emergency department staff. However, they often use clever ploys to avoid undergoing diagnostic procedures that would unmask them and cut off their drug supply. These malingerers must be differentiated from patients with somatization disorders and those with hard-to-diagnose renal disease, which further complicates their detection. Fortunately, the informed physician can usually suspect the truth early and take steps to reach the proper "diagnosis."
Moldwin
R
R
Department of Urology, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY 11042.
D000328:Adult; D003085:Colic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005607:Fraud; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008306:Malingering / Q000175:diagnosis*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders