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WCE 2018: Does Anxiety or Depression Increase Unplanned Encounters Following Ureteroscopy for Stones?

Paris, France (UroToday.com) Unplanned encounters following ureteroscopy for stones are common, and can include patient initiated phone contact, emergency department visits, and hospital admissions. Patients with psychiatric illness such as depression or anxiety may utilize these resources more often than patients without these disorders. This study sought to identify a possible association between unplanned encounter rate and psychological distress as manifested through depression and anxiety.

Dr. Bryan Pham et al. performed a retrospective chart review in a tertiary university hospital, examining unplanned encounters following ureteroscopic stone extraction in 2016 including patient-initiated telephone contact, emergency room (ER) visits, and hospital admissions.

The authors identified 334 patients that underwent ureteroscopic stone extraction and found that 77/334 (23%) and 84/334 (25%) of patients had a self-reported diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) or major depressive disorder (MDD), respectively. Additionally, 72/334 (22%) patients were taking anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medications. A chi-square test of independence did not reveal a significant increase in unplanned encounters for patients with GAD or MDD, and multivariable analysis also did not show evidence of higher odds ratios for unplanned encounters either.

While patients with psychiatric disorders tend to utilize healthcare resources more, Pham et al. did not see a difference in unplanned encounters for patients with GAD or MDD vs. those without these diagnoses. Future studies will look at fibromyalgia and interstitial cystitis as possible other comorbidities that might be risk factors for unplanned encounters in this patient population.

Presented By: Bryan Pham, MD, Saint Louis, Missouri

Authors: Joel Vetter, Ramakrishna Venkatesh, MD, Robert Figenshau, Alana Desai

Written By: Max Towe for UroToday.com at the 36th World Congress of Endourology (WCE) and SWL - September 20-23, 2018 Paris, France