Kidney Stones Research Paper

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History
Kidney stones have been affecting humans since the dawn of time. In 1901 an archeologist found stones in an old Mummy in Al Amrah Egypt. Back then, stones were present but there was no way of treatment like there is now (History of Kidney Stones). A kidney stone is a deposit of certain minerals in the kidney and these deposits eventually form crystals. This is caused by “too much waste in too little liquid” (Kidney Stones). This means that the concentration of urine is too high. This can be caused by dehydration or over consumption of certain minerals. This is a problem because passing a stone causes intense pain and is harmful to the body and the kidney itself (Kidney Stones). Today, scientists have an understanding on how stones …show more content…

Kidney stones can be diagnosed by a general physician or a urologist (Kidney Stones). Diagnosis of a kidney stone starts with a medical history, some physical examination of the patient, and imaging tests of the kidney. “Your doctors will want to know the exact size and shape of the kidney stones. This can be done with a high resolution CT scan from the kidneys down to the bladder or an x-ray called a ‘KUB x-ray’(kidney-ureter-bladder x-ray)” (Kidney Stones). This will show the size of the stone and its position. This test is done by injecting die into the patient through an IV and then looking at how the die is passed through the kidney to see where the blockage occurs (Kidney stones). This test takes about 1 hour in total. Another way to diagnose stones is through a renal ultrasound. A renal ultrasound is an ultrasound image taken of the lower back, exposing the kidney. This test is good for the patient because it doesn’t require any injections or radiation. It also takes much less time (Kidney Stones). Diagnosis will also be continued after the stone has been passed. “The stone will be analyzed after it comes out of your body, and your doctor will test your blood for calcium, phosphorus and uric acid” (Kidney Stones). This way, doctors can create different treatment plans to prevent this type of stone from developing

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