Emergency computed tomography in acute renal colic is essential for correct diagnosis and shortens time to treatment and stone-free status

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical impact of implementing routine emergency computed tomography (eCT) for all patients presenting with suspected acute renal colic at the emergency department (ED). Material and methods: We did a retrospective observational study of all patients who underwent eCT for suspected acute renal colic at the ED in Helsingborg between May 9, 2023 and May 8, 2024 and compared with a 2019/2020 cohort not using routine eCT. Results: Of 66,540 ED visits during the study period, 1,566 patients underwent eCT for suspected acute renal colic; 1,261 were included in the analysis after exclusions. In 57% of patients, no symptomatic stone was identified; nevertheless, one fifth required hospital admission for alternative diagnoses. A radiologically proven stone explaining their symptoms was found in 43% of patients. Compared with the 2019/2020 cohort, the 2023/2024 cohort had more treatments (33% vs 21%), and significantly shorter time to both treatment (p = 0.01) and clinical closure (p