RENAL COLIC MANAGEMENT IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Renal colic is a painful condition secondary to obstruction or the movement of stones in the urinary tract. Important knowledge gaps in the management of renal colic were addressed through this thesis. The work identified non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as the most effective and safe analgesics for renal colic treatment in the Emergency Department. In addition, these drugs offered more sustained pain relief. This thesis also identified bedside ultrasound as a useful examination tool in the initial assessment of renal colic patients, and proposed a diagnostic algorithm aimed to mitigate the radiation risk involved with routine CT imaging.