A drug commonly used to treat enlarged prostate could also be a new treatment for passing kidney stones, researchers have found.

In a study funded by the Emergency Medicine Foundation Australasia (EMF), patients with kidney stones were treated with the prostate drug Tamsulosin. As a result, they were better able to pass the painful stones. The study took place in five Australian hospital emergency rooms.

Trial leader and Townsville Hospital emergency medicine physician Jeremy Furyk said: "Of more than 400 patients in the trial, we found those who received Tamsulosin passed their large kidney stones more often than the placebo group. This means patients with large stones might not need more complicated treatments including surgeries, and this has potential to improve care and reduce costs. We're very excited because Tamsulosin treatment may also allow patients to be treated closer to home rather than needing referral."

EMF Australasia Chairwoman Sally McCarthy said the research had the potential to help millions suffering from the extremely painful condition. "It may also have implications for patients living in rural and regional areas, where access to urologists . . . can be limited."

Kidney stones are small, hard mineral and acid salt deposits that form inside the kidneys, thought to be brought on by a number of conditions including dehydration and urinary infection. Because these jagged mineral deposits have to travel down the ureter they can be very painful. The lifetime incidence of kidney stones is about 13 percent in men and 7 percent in women, according to UWHealth.org.

The research results were published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.