title: Increasing incidence of kidney stones in children evaluated in the emergency department.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypothesis that there is an increase in the incidence of childhood nephrolithiasis in the state of South Carolina.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed demographic data from a statewide database on incidence of kidney stones from emergency department data and financial charges. Data were compared with population data from the US Census to control for population growth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant increase in the incidence of kidney stones in children between 1996 and 2007. The greatest rate of increase was seen in adolescents, pre-adolescents, and Caucasian children. Infants, toddlers, and African-American children did not show significantly increased incidence in the period. Girls show a growing predominance in our population. The amount of money charged for care of children with kidney stones has gone up >4-fold in our state.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of kidney stone disease has risen dramatically in the state of South Carolina since 1996. Further studies investigating potential contributing factors are needed to prevent this costly and painful condition.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Nephrology, Medical University of South Carolina Children's Hospital, Charleston, SC 29425-6080, USA. sasdj@musc.edu
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Sas
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Hulsey
authors.forename: Ibrahim F
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Shatat
authors.forename: John K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Orak
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007669:Kidney Calculi / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D053040:Nephrolithiasis / Q000150:complications; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013022:South Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology