THE RELATION BETWEEN OCCUPATION AND RENAL STONES IN SYRIAN COAST

Yousef Bada*

ABSTRACT

Background: The relation between occupation and kidney stones is an area of increasing interest, certain occupations may increase the risk of kidney stone formation due to factors such as heat exposure, dehydration, stress, and exposure to specific chemicals. Objective: Study the relation between occupation, chemical composition, and urinary disorders in patients diagnosed with kidney stones, while studying the causes of their occurrence and identifying methods of prevention and recurrence control. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was conducted on adult kidney stone patients who attended the Urology Department at Lattakia University Hospital in Syria during 2023 and 2024. They were classified according to occupation. The study involved chemical analysis of isolated kidney stones and investigation of associated metabolic disorders. Results: This study examined 964 kidney stone patients, comprising 596 males and 368 females, with employees constituting the largest occupational group (40%). The most common presenting symptom was flank pain (65.7%). Pure calcium oxalate stones were the most frequently identified stone type (58.4%). A significant proportion of patients (67.4%) presented with metabolic disorders, with hypercalciuria (46.8%) and hypocitraturia (39.3%) being the most prevalent. Manual workers showed the highest susceptibility to urinary metabolic disorders and kidney stone recurrence. Conclusion: It is recommended to conduct an analysis of the components of urinary stones to determine the chemical composition, in addition to an adequate metabolic study. It is also recommended to take preventive measures to prevent stone formation, especially for patients in the (manual worker) category, such as good hydration.

Keywords: Renal stones, occupation, stone recurrence, Syria.