The impact of ureteral stent indwelling time on the treatment of acute infection caused by ureteral calculi.

Ureteric stenting is an effective drainage method in patients with acute urinary tract infection caused by ureteral calculi; however, the optimal ureteral stent indwelling time has not been clearly defined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ureteric stent indwelling time on the treatment of acute infection secondary to urinary tract calculi. A total of 142 patients with acute infection caused by urinary tract calculi were identified retrospectively from January 2011 to August 2015 at our institution. 63 patients were with ureteric stenting for 7 days (A group) and 79 patients with ureteric stenting for more than 7 days (B group). The patient characteristics of two groups were analyzed and the clinical data before and after stenting were compared. The postoperative complication outcomes were collected and analyzed. Effective drainage obtained from ureteral stenting clearly abated the infection after stenting for 7 days; WBC count, WBCs in urine, and positive rate of urine culture were significantly decreased compared with the condition of immediate stenting. Both groups showed similar stone clearance rates (96.8% vs. 96.2%, p = 0.841), and there was no significant difference in the rate of postoperative complications, especially related to urinary tract infection (6.3% vs. 6.3%, p = 1.000). It is safe and effective for patients with acute urinary tract infection secondary to urinary tract calculi to be treated by ureteroscopic lithotripsy after stenting for one week. Prolonging the stenting period achieves no added benefit for patients.