ABSTRACT
Background and Objectives: Though medical expulsive therapy for ureteric stones is increasingly used these days, some recent randomized controlled trials have questioned its benefit. This study evaluates the result of treatment of ureteric stones with tamsulosin. Materials and Methods: This prospective study involved ultrasonographically confirmed cases of uncomplicated unilateral ureteric stones. All patients received tamsulocin 0.4 mg daily for 2 to 6 weeks. The primary end point was stone expulsion. The secondary endpoints were the use of analgesics and adverse events. Results: One hundred and sixty two patients completed the study. Ninety seven patients were male and male to female ratio was 3:2. The mean age was 34.9 ± 9.8 (range: 18-71) years. The mean stone size was 6.17 ± 1.68 (range: 3.3-11.2) mm. By the end of 2, 4 and 6 weeks, cumulative stone expulsion rate was 110 (69.1%), 121 (74.7%) and 126 (77.8%) respectively. For the 49 stones of size £ 5 mm, the expulsion rate was 47 (95.9%) by the end of 6 weeks. The expulsion rates for stones of size > 5 - 7 mm, > 7 – 9 mm and ³ 9 mm were 59 (85.5%), 17 (53.1%) and 3 (25%) respectively by the end of 6 weeks. Lower ureteric stones had the highest expulsion rate of 106 (87.6%) by the end of 6 weeks, and the rate was lowest for upper ureteric stones (34.6%). Ten (6.1%) patients required additional analgesics during the course of treatment. Eleven (6.8%) patients complained of mild light-headedness and dizziness which subsided in a few days. Conclusion: Tamsulocin appears to facilitate expulsion of ureteric stones especially the distal ones. The benefit of tamsulocin seems to be maximum for the stones of size up to 9 mm. Further large scale randomized controlled trial should better define the real benefit and more rationale use of tamsulocin in routine clinical practice.
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to determine whether early catheter removal after transurethral resection of prostate significantly reduces the length of hospital stay. Fifty two consecutive patients who underwent transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) were reviewed retrospectively. Patient's profile and all relevant data were noted from charts. The length of hospital stay was registered in days. These patients were divided into two group; Group I (n=20) includes patients whose catheter was removed within 2 days of operation and group II (n=32) includes beyond 2 days. Various parameters were analyzed in between the groups using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) for Windows. The demographics of the patients, pre-operative morbidities and immediate post-operative complications in both groups were comparable. There was statistically significant difference noted in duration of resection, weight of resected prostatic tissue, catheter removal and length of hospital stay between group I and group II. Length of hospital stay strongly correlates with days on which catheter was removed. Further, correlation was found between the catheter removal and the weight of resected prostatic tissue; but not with duration of resection. In conclusion, early catheter removal significantly shortens the length of hospital stay, which not only helps the authorities for efficient bed management, but also saves cost. The weight of resected prostatic chips and duration of resection are few peri-operative factors which can guide for effective catheter management after TURP.