What is a Kidney Stone? By: Ashlyn Hernandez In collaboration with Dr. Michael Mayo (Urologist)

Kidney Stones ● A kidney stone is a hard mass formed in of course the kidneys. Kidney stones are created when the normal balance of water, salts, minerals, and other substances found in urine are out of balance this forms a crystal. One or more can be in the kidney or ureter at once. A single kidney stone can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball!

Types of Kidney Stones There are four common types of kidney stones. They are Calcium stones, Struvite stones, Uric acid stones, and Cystine stones. You can get other types of stones too, but it is most likely you will get Calcium stones out of the four though.

Definition of Types ● Calcium Stones are formed when the balance of calcium in your urine change. These represent 56 to 80 percent of the cases in adults. ● Struvite stones is magnesium, ammonium, and phosphate. The struvite crystallizes in the orthorhombic system. These come with little or no warning. This makes up 12 percent. ● Uric Acid stones are formed as a result of to much uric acid in the urine. Uric acid is produced at the breaking up of purines. This makes up 7 percent, but people with low fluids, gout, diabetes 2 will most likely have this type of stone. ● Cystine Stones are form in people with a hereditary disorder. This makes up one percent of the types of Kidney stones you can get.

Ways to Treat Kidney Stones There are multiple ways to treat Kidney stones, but each way is different depending on the size of the stone. For example, if you have a small stone it is best to just drink lots of water and take some pain relievers because passing a stone is a very painful process. If you have a larger stone you could need to go to the hospital and get shock waves to break up the stones through a machine called a lithotripsy, but if you have an even larger stone you may end up having to need surgery or they use a scope to get it out. Lithotripter

● Development made up to the current situation ● Important background information ● Original forecasts which turned out to be wrong ● Original forecasts which turned out to be true

Potential Alternatives ● State the alternative strategies ● List the pros and cons of each strategy ● Give a forecast of costs

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