Three ways to clear a blocked kidney: which works best?
NCT ID NCT07816991
First seen Sep 14, 2026 · Last updated Sep 15, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
When a kidney stone blocks urine flow and causes a severe infection, doctors must quickly relieve the blockage and control the infection. They can place a stent through the urinary tract, insert a drainage tube through the skin, or start antibiotics alone. This study observes 1,650 patients across more than 30 hospitals in China to see how well each approach works and which patients do best with which treatment.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- ureteral stent, percutaneous nephrostomy, or initial antibiotic therapy
- What this could lead to
- If the study succeeds, doctors could have clearer guidance on which patients benefit most from a stent, a drainage tube, or antibiotics alone, leading to faster infection control and fewer complications.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study, so it can show patterns but cannot prove one treatment causes better outcomes than another. Patients are not randomly assigned, so differences between groups may reflect other factors.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 1,650 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Oct 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Nov 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
The study population consists of adult patients presenting to emergency or urology departments with acute pyelonephritis secondary to unilateral upper urinary tract stone obstruction. This group represents a clinically high-risk population in the real-world setting, characterized by the presence of both mechanical urinary obstruction (confirmed by imaging) and systemic inflammatory responses. By including patients with symptoms ranging from localized flank pain to systemic markers such as SIRS or qSOFA abnormalities, the cohort encompasses the full clinical spectrum of obstructive pyelonephritis, from early-stage infection to the initial signs of urosepsis. The population reflects real-world clinical practice where urgent decisions must be made between retrograde stenting, percutaneous nephrostomy, or initial conservative medical management.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Informed consent has been obtained from the patient. * Unilateral upper urinary tract stone obstruction (accompanied by dilatation of the renal pelvis and/or ureter) confirmed by non-contrast CT (NCCT). * Presence of fever (body temperature ≥38.0°C) and/or chills. * Meet at least one of the following conditions: * SIRS Criteria: Meeting at least two of the following: heart rate \>90 bpm; respiratory rate \>20 breaths/min; white blood cell count \>12×10⁹/L or \<4×10⁹/L. * Flank or Abdominal Pain: Persistent dull pain or colic in the flank or upper abdomen on the affected side. * qSOFA Abnormality: Meeting at least one of the following: altered mental status; systolic blood pressure \<100 mmHg; respiratory rate ≥22 breaths/min. Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnant or lactating women. * Non-calculous obstruction (e.g., tumors, retroperitoneal fibrosis, congenital stenosis). * Any form of drainage or surgical treatment performed on the affected kidney for the target stone prior to admission. * Concurrent abdominal or pelvic emergency requiring urgent surgery. * Non-functional affected kidney (preoperative imaging suggesting renal cortical thickness \<5 mm or clinical assessment of no renal function).
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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