Use of Alfuzosin in Stone Treatment With ESWL

Summary

Urinary tract stones may form in the kidneys or along the ureteric tracts and when left untreated, may result in complications such as pain, bleeding, infection and obstruction. ESWL (extra-corporeal shock wave lithotripsy) has been shown to be an effective and safe method of treatment for kidney and ureteric stones in-situ. In our centre, ESWL is done on an outpatient basis with oral pain killers in the weeks following treatment. Patients are also instructed to increase their fluid intake during this period to expedite the clearance of stone fragments. There have been studies to show that pain caused by stones is due to smooth muscle spasm along the ureters, possibly mediated by alpha-receptors. Alpha-blockers have been shown to improve the expulsion of stones and also improve pain relief when used alone, or together with ESWL treatment. In our study, we seek to investigate if alpha-blocker therapy (Alfuzosin) increases stone free rates and improves pain control after ESWL for renal and ureteric stones. The potential benefits include a higher rate of stone clearance and better pain control

Timeline

Start

2006-10

Primary completion

2007-12

Completion

2007-12

Publications

• Background Gravina GL, Costa AM, Ronchi P, Galatioto GP, Angelucci A, Castellani D, Narcisi F, Vicentini C. Tamsulosin treatment increases clinical success rate of single extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy of renal stones. Urology. 2005 Jul;66(1):24-8. doi: 10.1016/j.urology.2005.01.013.

Drugs

Indications