A physician informs a client that her renal calculus is small enough that she should be able to pass it without surgical intervention. Which action should the nurse take to help the client pass the renal calculus?

A physician informs a client that her renal calculus is small enough that she should be able to pass it without surgical intervention. Which action should the nurse take to help the client pass the renal calculus?

• A. Encourage the client to consume 3 to 4 liters of fluid a day.
• B. Limit fluids to prevent dilution of urine.
• C. Advise bed rest to allow stone to pass.
• D. Suggest a low-fluid diet to encourage stone formation reduction

Answer: (A)

Increasing fluid intake is the action that helps a small renal calculus pass. A high urine volume, typically 3 to 4 liters per day unless contraindicated, dilutes minerals in the urine and increases urine flow. This boosts the likelihood that the stone will move through the urinary tract and be expelled with less pain, while also reducing the risk of urinary stasis that can promote further stone formation. Limiting fluids would do the opposite by concentrating stone-forming substances and decreasing the chances of passage. Bed rest does not impact stone transit, and a low-fluid diet would promote stone formation rather than facilitate its passage. The nurse should encourage hydration, monitor urine output, and inform the patient to report persistent pain, fever, or signs of obstruction, and to strain urine to collect the stone for analysis when it passes.

Increasing fluid intake is the action that helps a small renal calculus pass. A high urine volume, typically 3 to 4 liters per day unless contraindicated, dilutes minerals in the urine and increases urine flow. This boosts the likelihood that the stone will move through the urinary tract and be expelled with less pain, while also reducing the risk of urinary stasis that can promote further stone formation. Limiting fluids would do the opposite by concentrating stone-forming substances and decreasing the chances of passage. Bed rest does not impact stone transit, and a low-fluid diet would promote stone formation rather than facilitate its passage. The nurse should encourage hydration, monitor urine output, and inform the patient to report persistent pain, fever, or signs of obstruction, and to strain urine to collect the stone for analysis when it passes.