Clinical study on the treatment of ureteral calculi with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy combined with urinary stone decoction and ear acupoint pressure

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic effect of ESWL combined with urinary stone decoction and ear acupoint pressure for the patients with renal and ureteral calculi. Methods A total of 110 patients with renal and ureteral calculi were randomly divided into the Chinese medicine (CM) and conventional groups, 55 in each group. Both groups were given ESWL treatment as basic treatment. Chinese medicine group were given the urinary stone decoction and auricular acupressure, and the conventional group used stone granules. Both groups were treated for 2 weeks. According to the photography of ultrasound, the changes of calculi, time of lithagogue, pain relief after operation and the effect rates of pain relief on abdomen and waist, of remission of haematuria, and of urinate pain. Results After treatment, the successful rates of operation in the CM group was 90.9% (50/55), and conventional group was 76.4% (42/55). There was significant difference between 2 groups (χ2=4.251, P=0.009). The time of stone removal in CM group was significantly shorter than that in the conventional group (7.3 ± 3.8 d vs. 11.2 ± 4.3 d, t=4.032, P<0.001). After 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th days, the VAS pain scores in the CM group were significantly lower than those in the conventional group (4.1 ± 0.8 vs. 5 ± 1.2, t=4.783; 4.5 ± 0.9 vs. 5.3 ± 1.3, t=4.492; 3.8 ± 0.8 vs. 4.5 ± 0.8, t=4.503; 2.2 ± 0.8 vs. 2.9 ± 0.9, t=3.691; all P<0.01). After 7th day, the rates of abdominal pain relief was 60% (33/55), pain relief was 79.1% (34/43), the remission of hematuria was 81% (17/21) in the CM group, and the control group were 40% (22/55), 59.6% (28/47), 52% (13/25). There were significant differences between 2 groups on these indices (χ2 values were 4.400, 3.982, 4.217, P values were 0.036, 0.046, 0.040). Conclusions The ESWL combined with urinary stone decoction and ear acupoint pressure could improve the symptoms of patients with kidney ureteral stones. Key words: Ureterolithiasis; Shock waves; Lithotripsy; Compounds(TCD); Auricular point sticking, semen vaccariae