Renal Colic in the ED

Renal colic is a common presentation to the ED, the key management principles are that of analgesia and safely excluding serious alternative diagnoses. Follow the links below to clear guidelines on managing renal colic presentations:

• Analgesia

• Confirmation of diagnosis

  including assessment of complications and exclusion of alternative diagnoses

• Disposition

What's New

1. Smith Bindman, R et al. (2014) Ultrasonography versus Computed Tomography for Suspected Nephrolithiasis, The New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 371; no. 12; pp. 1100 – 1110

2. Pickard, R et al. (2015) Medical expulsive therapy in adults with ureteric colic: a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, The Lancet, 19 May 2015.

3. Choosing Wisely Australia: ACEM tests, treatments and procedures clinicians and consumers should question.

4. Davenport, K and Waine, E (2010) The Role of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Renal Colic, Pharmaceuticals (Basel), vol. 3, no. 5, pp. 1304-1310.