Increasing water intake is the most important lifestyle change recommended to kidney stone patients. However, a new study suggests that patients should consider paying attention to the quality of water that they are drinking as well.​

​Stoots et al. found that some bottled water contain up to 579 mg of calcium per litre. By consuming water with such high calcium content, patients may be at higher risk of forming calcium oxalate stones.​

Urologists, advising patients about making the right bottled water choices may help them prevent stone formation.

Read more here: Global Variations in the Mineral Content of Bottled Still and Sparkling Water and a Description of the Possible Impact on Nephrological and Urological Diseases

Should we have a lower threshold for treatment of female kidney stone patients? A study of 231 patients by Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust suggest so.

Even though female patients only made up 35.5% of the cohort, they were significantly more likely to present with urosepsis or acute kidney infection, require longer hospital stays and were 20 times more likely to be admitted into the intensive care unit, as compared to men. Urologists should take these factors into account when assessing the suitability of conservative management for female patients.

Read more: Gender differences in acute stone admissions – should we have a lower threshold for treatment in female patients?

With a burnout rate of 49%, urology consistently ranks among the top five specialties with the worst levels of depression*. As we commemorate World Suicide Prevention Day, we need to ask ourselves if this is sustainable.

According to a study published in Urology® (the Gold Journal), burnout manifests as low personal achievement, depersonalization and emotional exhaustion among urologists. Unmanaged, it led to more medical errors and poorer quality of patient care. Coping mechanisms such as stress eating and alcohol consumption were associated with higher levels of burnout!

Head out for a walk with a friend instead. By doing so, you’re helping both your patients and yourself.

Read more: Stressors and Coping Mechanisms Related to Burnout Within Urology

*According to the Medscape Physician Burnout and Suicide Report (2021)

Urinalysis is a key component of stone management, yet less than 1 in 2 kidney stone patients are willing to undergo them. Test kits are also often mishandled by patients, leading to even lower completion rates!

Without urinalysis results, urologists may struggle to identify risk factors associated with patients’ stones and thus fail to propose the necessary preventive therapies. To improve the compliance rate and accuracy of urinalyses, urologists should educate patients on the proper usage and importance of these tests!

Read more here: An Intervention to Increase 24-Hour Urine Collection Compliance