title: Acute renal failure in children requiring dialysis therapy.
abstract: A prospective study over two and a half years analysed 48 children of acute renal failure requiring dialysis therapy. The mean age was 3 years 9 months and M:F ratio was 1.8:1. Renal causes predominated, accounting for 65%, with prerenal and postrenal causes responsible for 19% and 16%. Acute glomerulonephritis was seen in 13 cases, hypovolemia secondary to gastroenteritis in 9, tubular necrosis in 6, and hemolytic uremic syndrome in 5. A delay in seeking medical attention was present in as many as 48%, and was especially common with female children. All had oligo-anuria, with fluid overload present in 18.7%, hypertension in 23%, hypotension in 16.6%, neuropsychiatric manifestations in 20%, and infections in 47%. Peritoneal dialysis was carried out in 95%, and hemodialysis in 6.2%. Urine output and renal function returned to normal within 1.5 to 16 days (mean 5.9) in the survivors. Of the 28 who survived, 19 were followed up regularly for a mean of 4.25 months and all except one had normal renal function. Factors associated with a poor prognosis included female sex, age < 1 year, neurological manifestations, and hypotension, though these were not statistically significant. Mortality in our series was 41.5%. While etiological factors have shown changing trends, mortality still remains high inspite of dialysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, T.N. Medical College, Bombay.
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Kandoth
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: V R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Dharnidharka
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D008297:Male; D010530:Peritoneal Dialysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D015996:Survival Rate