THE USE OF ULTRASONOGRAPHY TO GUIDE METHODS OF DIAGNOSTIC PRINTING AND TREATMENT OF NEPHROLITHIASIS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF CLINICAL TRIALS/O USO DA ULTRASSONOGRAFIA PARA GUIAR METODOS DE IMPRESSAO DIAGNOSTICA E TRATAMENTO DE NEFROLITIASE: UMA REVISAO SISTEMATICA DE ENSAIOS CLINICOS/EL USO DE LA ECOGRAFIA PARA GUIAR LOS METODOS DE IMPRESION DIAGNOSTICA Y EL TRATAMIENTO DE LA NEFROLITIASIS: UNA REVISION SISTEMATICA DE LOS ENSAYOS CLINICOS

INTRODUCTION: The use of ultrasonography (USG) has been increasingly widespread due to the ease of realization, besides being a very non-invasive method and can, above all, be carried out at the bedside USG Point-Of-Care. With this in mind, the USG is the method of choice for evaluation of lithiasis in the urinary tract, being important for carrying out differential diagnoses. In addition to diagnostic purposes, GUS plays an important role in guiding nephrolithiasis treatment. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the literature about the use of ultrasonography to guide methods of diagnostic printing and treatment of nephrolithiasis. METHODOLOGY: This is a systematic review of clinical trials in the specialized literature, in the PubMed database, with the descriptors: "Ultrasonography" AND "Nephrolithiasis", in the last 5 years. Eleven scientific articles were selected. Only free full-text clinical trials of the last 5 years were included, and 3 articles that do not fit the objectives of this study were excluded. RESULTS: The systematic review included 8 clinical trials, which evaluated the application of different techniques in the diagnosis and treatment of nephrolithiasis. One trial evaluated the use of Point-Of-Care UltraSonography (POCUS) for diagnosis, one trial, the use of laparoscopic pyelolitotomy (LPL) for Staghorn cases, and the other 6 examined different techniques for renal puncture in percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). All trials had relatively small samples, ranging from 19 to 300 participants. The methodological quality of the studies varied from low to moderate bias. Despite differences in the study designs and techniques evaluated, most studies indicated that the use of ultrasound in the diagnosis and treatment of nephrolithiasis is effective. In relation to the control group, the application of these techniques resulted in a reduction in the surgery time, of surgical and post-surgical complications, of the fall in hemoglobin and of the permanence in the hospital, as well as an increase in the rate of elimination of kidney stones and in the precision of the renal puncture. However, in two studies, the techniques analyzed caused side effects, so it is necessary that more research be done to attest to the safety. The systematic review shows results that attest to the use of ultrasonography to guide methods of diagnostic printing and treatment of nephrolithiasis as effective and safe. However, it is important to consider the heterogeneity of the techniqu