In the case under analysis, the patient is a 45-year-old male complaining of severe pain bouts in his left flank region and fresh blood in the urine. His diagnosis is urinary calculi, also known as nephrolithiasis or kidney stones. The main factors responsible for developing this condition include a bad diet, being overweight (or obese), and the impact of various medical conditions and medications.
When the urine contains an increased number of crystal-forming substances like calcium oxalate, urate, or phosphate, kidney stones are formed (Fontenelle & Sarti, 2019). The contribution of low fluid intake, high salt diets, and low calcium intake cannot be ignored. The man works eight hours daily and has to stand straight most of the time, unable to follow a healthy lifestyle and diet. Besides, the irregular use of water may negatively affect the composition of the calculi in the system.
Several tests should be taken to prove the diagnosis of urinary calculi. First, blood testing is necessary to reveal the level of calcium or uric acid in the blood. A high level of white blood cells (leukocytes) is one of the indicators of kidney stones: there should be more than 11,000 cells per microliter together with blood in the urine (Fontenelle & Sarti, 2019). Another sign of the same condition is when the level of blood calcium is higher than normal limits (2.6 mmol per liter).
Finally, X-rays identify big kidney stones, while computerized tomography reveals small stones. This diagnostic technique provides information about the location, size, and number of stones. In this case, the patient’s results would be a stone in the left ureter, hydronephrosis in the left kidney, 15,000 leukocytes, and present calcium oxalate.
The best treatment for the patient with small kidney stones is to drink water and take pain relievers and alpha blockers to promote the passing of the kidney stone. The most common drugs are tamsulosin, 0.4 mg daily, or doxazosin, 4 mg daily (Fontenelle & Sarti, 2019). Surgical or sound wave interventions are recommended to remove large kidney stones with severe symptoms. The prevention of the same condition is possible if the patient follows lifestyle modifications like increased fluid intake, a balanced diet, and citrate supplementation (Fontenelle & Sarti, 2019). Some patients are at high risk of stone recurrence due to family history or body problems, and these post-treatment interventions are critical not to create a favorable environment for new kidney stones.
Reference
Fontenelle, L. F., & Sarti, T. D. (2019). Kidney stones: Treatment and prevention. American Family Physician, 99(8), 490-496.