ASSESSMENT OF FLUID INTAKE IN UROLITHIASIS PATIENTS ATTENDING UROLOGY CLINIC AT A TERTIARY CARE CENTERIN NORTH KARNATAKA

Abstract

Urolithiasis is a highly prevalent disease all over the world. The prevalence of kidney stone disease in India is around 12%. Fluid intake is one of the important modifiable risk factors in kidney stone disease which can be considered for preventive measures. Nevertheless, various kinds of fluids cannot have the same effect on stone formation. North Karnataka region is more prone to stone formation due to a lack of fluid intake in several parts. We aim to assess the intake of various fluids and beverages along with water in urolithiasis patients attending the urology clinic at the tertiary care centre. A total of 240 kidney stone patients attending a urology clinic at a tertiary care centre were enrolled for the study between the period of 2020 to 2021. Structured and validated questionnaires comprising detailed information about brief medical history, lifestyle habits and fluid intake habits were provided to the subjects. Kidney stones were collected from all 240 patients to analyse the chemical composition and spectral studies. Out of 240 patients, 152 were male patients and 88 were females. The overall male-to-female ratio was 1.72: 1. The mean Body Mass Index (BMI) of all the patients was 25.83. The highest numbers of cases (43.3%) were seen in the age group above 50. Around 65.8% of cases used to consume less than an adequate amount of water. In stone analysis, 58.3% were calcium oxalates and 16.6% were uric acid stones which was the second-highest among cases. Fluids like milk, tea, and fruit juices are shown to reduce the risk of stone formation to some extent whereas less water intake was a major risk factor. Alcohol and aerated beverages are still having controversial results in stone formation. So, more studies have to be conducted in different geographic regions which may help to prevent the reoccurrence and may reduce the burden of urolithiasis.