Renal stone formation is a multistep process that includes supersaturation of the urine, lack of inhibitory substances, and urinary stasis. Which type of renal calculi is associated with Proteus infection?
Uric acid
Triple phosphate
Calcium oxalate
Xanthine
Struvite (magnesium-ammonium-phosphate) stones often are associated with infection by urea-splitting bacteria and are the most common cause of staghorn calculi, large stones that form a cast of the renal pelvis. Urea-splitting organisms, which include Proteus, Klebsiella, Staphylococcus species, Providencia, and Corynebacterium, also raise the pH of the urine (>7.2). Surgical treatment is recommended for staghorn calculi. Ref: Manthey D.E., Nicks B.A. (2011). Chapter 97. Urologic Stone Disease. In J.E. Tintinalli, J.S. Stapczynski, D.M. Cline, O.J. Ma, R.K. Cydulka, G.D. Meckler (Eds), Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide, 7e.