BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The incidence of renal colic is increasing in developing countries due to several factors, and takes people to the emergency service to relieve the acute and severe pain it induces. The economic impact of emergency diagnosis and management is not known in Brazil. This study aimed at evaluating the cost of renal colic diagnosis and management in a private emergency service and the variables influencing such cost. METHOD: This is a retrospective study evaluating the medical records of renal colic patients seen between August and September 2010 by a private emergency service of the city of São Paulo. RESULTS: We have evaluated 136 medical records of patients of both genders, with mean age of 39 years, 52% with history of stones and 30% with other comorbidities. WHO's analgesic scale was used in 48% of cases. Mean total cost was R$ 453.62 and the impact of patients' length of stay on cost was significant. CONCLUSION: Cost has widely varied since the study was carried out in a private institution with different paying sources. Length of stay in the emergency service was the only variable with statistical significance with regard to increased costs. Effective management and quality of assistance strategies, which decrease length of stay of patients in the emergency service, may contribute to decrease assistance costs.
Costs and cost analysis; Emergency service; Pain; Renal colic
