Severe one-sided flank pain
Colicky loin pain usually means a stone. With a fever, it means an emergency.
What it may mean
Classic renal colic comes in waves, radiates from the loin to the groin, and is severe enough that most people cannot sit still with it. It usually means a stone is obstructing the ureter.
The combination that changes everything is pain plus fever. An obstructed kidney that becomes infected can make someone seriously unwell within hours, and it needs drainage the same day rather than pain relief and a scan next week.
What happens next
- Pain relief and a non-contrast CT scan
- Urine and blood tests, including inflammatory markers
- Urgent drainage with a stent or nephrostomy if infected
- Definitive stone clearance once the infection has settled
Kidney & ureteric stones
From a single calculus to complex staghorn and multi-tract stone burdens, cleared by the least invasive route that will actually work.
If this is happening now
Complete inability to pass urine, visible blood in the urine, or severe one-sided flank pain with fever need same-day assessment. Attend your nearest emergency department.