Kidney Stones
Kidney stones form when minerals and salts in pee stick together. They may pass on their own, but larger stones can cause pain or trouble peeing and may need surgery.
What Are Kidney Stones?
Your kidneys are two small organs about the size of your fist. They sit in the upper part of your belly, towards your back. They clean your blood by removing extra water, salt, and waste. Then they turn that waste into pee (urine).
Kidney stones (nephrolithiasis) are a condition where stones form in the urinary tract. The stones can form when minerals and salts stick together in your pee. If they move into the tubes that carry pee (ureters), they can cause pain, trouble peeing, or blood in the pee. The kidney stones may come out when you pee (urinate), but if they’re too big, surgery may be needed to remove them.
What Are the Symptoms of Kidney Stones?
Sometimes kidney stones cause no symptoms. When symptoms do happen, the most common are:
- Sharp pain between your ribs and hip or belly pain
- Pee is cloudy or has a strong smell
- Pain when peeing
- Blood in pee
- Nausea or vomiting
What Are the Causes of Kidney Stones?
- Body doesn't have enough water (dehydrated)
- Family history
- Diet - foods high in salt or oxalate
- Certain medicines like Lasix® and Topamax®
- Some conditions like diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease, and being on a ketogenic diet
How Are Kidney Stones Diagnosed?
- A renal ultrasound is usually the first test done to find kidney stones.
- An X-ray and computed tomography (CT) scan may be needed if the ultrasound doesn’t give a clear answer (inconclusive).
How Are Kidney Stones Treated?
Treatment depends on the kidney stone(s) size and location. Common treatments include:
- Medical expulsive therapy (MET) – Your child’s doctor or health care provider will order them to drink a lot of water and take a medicine to help pass the stone and pee more. This is called MET. The more they pee, the higher their chances of passing the stone. MET may be given at the hospital by giving fluids through an intravenous (IV) line if your child gets nauseous or can’t drink large amounts of water.
- Surgery – If a kidney stone is too big to pass through pee or MET didn’t work, surgery may be needed. There are several ways to remove stones, including using a small surgical telescope called a cystoscope or ureteroscope to remove the stone, using external shockwaves to break up a stone you pass on your own, and going directly through the back to the kidney. The best way to address a stone surgically would be decided between you and the surgeon.
Next Steps
Aftercare
- If the stone was removed with surgery or is passed at home while peeing (please try to catch and keep it), we will send it off for testing. This lets us know how to help prevent more stones.
- Your child will have a follow-up visit after the stone has been passed or removed.
When to Call the Doctor
- Fever of or over 100.4˚ Fahrenheit (F) or 38˚ Celsius (C)
- Symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI): peeing often or feeling like you need to pee often, feeling like your bladder isn't emptying after peeing, or burning feeling when peeing
- Vomiting or not able to tolerate any fluids
- Pain that can’t be controlled with prescribed medicines
Helping Hands™ Patient Education Materials
Helping Hands™ are easy-to-read guides about different illnesses, therapies, surgeries, and more. They’re created by the Patient Education team at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and are reviewed and approved by clinical staff, like nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and psychologists. Nationwide Children's Hospital is not responsible for misuse of information in patient education materials, including Helping Hands.
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