Publication:

Role of tamsulosin in the management of lower ureteric stone at tertiary care hospital in Western Rajasthan, India

Background Many minimally invasive interventional techniques as well as expectant treatments exist for the management of lower ureteric calculi.

Methods 100 patients [group A (50 patients) patients given capsule tamsulosin 0.4mg, 1 daily up to 4 weeks while group B (50 patients) patients given regularly practiced treatment without Tamsulosin] with distal ureteric stone included in the study. Study duration was 6 months and study performed at S.P. Medical College. Bikaner, Rajasthan, India.

Results Group A showed a statistically significant advantage in terms of the stone expulsion rate. 41 patients (82%) in group A and 30 patients (60%) in group B expelled stones. Overall patients in group A had mean expulsion time of 7.86 days, whereas in group B mean expulsion time was 18.64 days. In group A stone expulsion rate was higher as compared to group B. In group A only 12 (24%) patients experienced pain relapses whereas in group B 32 (64%) patients reported pain relapses. The diclofenac dosage required in group A was observed to be 1.62 tablets whereas in group B it was 2.6 tablets.

Conclusions It is concluded that tamsulosin should be considered for uncomplicated distal ureteral calculi before ureteroscopy or extracorporeal lithotripsy. Tamsulosin has been found to increase and hasten stone expulsion rates, decrease acute attacks by acting as a spasmolytic, reduces mean days to stone expulsion and decreases analgesic dose usage.