Emergency room follow-up trends in urolithiasis: single-center report.
OBJECTIVE
Over 1 million emergency room visits are made annually for renal colic and urinary stone disease in the United States. This study seeks to determine patterns of follow-up for patients diagnosed with ureterolithiasis in a single emergency department.


METHODS
A retrospective review identified 556 patients diagnosed with ureterolithiasis in the emergency department at the University of Wisconsin Hospital over a 2-year period.


RESULTS
Of these patients, 130 met inclusion criteria including first-time stone formers and no prior urological visit within the past 5 years. Fourteen patients seen in the emergency room at their initial visit received immediate urological consultation. Of the remaining 116 patients discharged by the emergency room, 71 (61%) patients followed up with a urologist, 27 (23%) patients followed up with a primary care physician, 10 (9%) patients returned to the emergency department for their initial follow-up, and 8 (7%) patients had no further follow-up. Of the 44 patients with ureteral calculi 5 mm or greater, 38 (86%) patients either received urological consultation in the emergency department or followed up with a urologist as an outpatient (P < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that most patients seen in the emergency department at our institution for ureterolithiasis with > 4 mm ureteral stones follow up with a urologist on an outpatient basis. Alternatively, based on the overall subset of patients identified, it is conceivable that a significant percentage of patients never see a urologist.
Sterrett
Samuel P
SP
Department of Urology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin 53792-7375, USA.
Moore
Nathan W
NW
Nakada
Stephen Y
SY
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014514:Ureteral Calculi / Q000628:therapy*; D055815:Young Adult