Scope
The Bottom Line
- Use pain pattern, urinary symptoms, previous stones, observations and focused examination to assess suspected renal or ureteric colic.
- Check urinalysis for haematuria and infection while recognising that a negative blood result does not rule out a stone.
- Pregnancy status, kidney function, solitary kidney, infection and ability to maintain hydration change imaging and destination.
- Confirm imaging, analgesia and antiemetic decisions through the current local emergency pathway and consulted clinician.
Practical clinical workflow
Safety boundaries and escalation
- Infected obstruction, anuria, acute kidney injury, solitary-kidney obstruction, uncontrolled pain or vomiting requires urgent urological care.
- This page makes no stone-size threshold, expulsive-therapy or 24-hour-urine recommendation because those decisions are outside the exact chapter.
Implementation
Clinical use boundary
This independently written summary is not an official guideline. Check the linked source version, current TGA-approved product information where medicines are involved, and the applicable state, territory and local pathway at the point of care.
Source documents
Use the linked source documents for complete recommendations, evidence grading, exclusions and implementation detail.
- Queensland Health and Royal Flying Doctor Service Queensland SectionPrimary Clinical Care Manual, 12th edition: Renal colic — adult and childISBN 978-1-876560-22-5; Renal colic — adult and child, pp. 208–210 · 12th edition 2025, v1.03 with updates through 21 July 2026; exact chapter at printed pages 208–210 · accessed 2026-08-20view source
From guidance to deliberate practice and evidence
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