Adherence to the European Association of Urology Guidelines Regarding the Therapeutic Indications for the Treatment of Urinary Lithiasis: A Spanish Multicenter Study

Abstract

Introduction: Urinary lithiasis involves a major source of morbidity and economic costs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the adherence to the European Association of Urology Guidelines on Urolithiasis with regard to treatment among Spanish urologists. Methods: A total of 723 patients were included in a prospective study between May 1, 2014, and July 31, 2014. The study involved 8 hospitals responsible of urolithiasis in a geographical area of Spain (Comunidad Valenciana) with approximately 4,500,000 inhabitants. Data were collected about the demographic characteristics of the patients, the characteristics of the stones, and the indicated treatment, in order to analyze the adherence to the clinical guidelines. A 90% threshold was used in concordance with the indications in the guidelines. Results: Adherence to guidelines was poor in chemolysis, distal and ureteral calculi, and >2 cm renal calculi. Adherence was high in <2 cm renal calculi. Conclusions: In our study, the overall adherence to the clinical guidelines regarding the therapeutic indication for urinary lithiasis has been low. In the case of both renal and ureteral stones, the adherence in small lithiasis has been greater, compared with larger ones. In our survey, a trend has been observed in favor of endoscopic procedures even in large lithiasis.