Management of patients with ureteral stone.

Immediate steps in the treatment of ureteral stone, beginning with the often acute onset, are relief of pain, urinalysis (including Gram stain), forcing fluids, examination of urine for the stone and urography at the earliest feasible time. If the stone causes continual pain or appears unlikely to be passed safely, it should be removed-with a cystoscope if possible; if not, by operation which may be done while the patient is still under anesthesia. To combat further stone formation a large fluid intake should be maintained, the extracted stone analyzed, an acid ash diet prescribed, serum calcium and phosphorus measured, urinary stasis corrected and urinary infection and distant foci of infection cured. Vitamin A, aluminum gels and particularly hyaluronidase appear promising as preventives to stone formation.