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Published on: August 4, 2010
Acute kidney injury in children with visceral leishmaniasis
Alexandre Braga Libório1, Natália A Rocha, Michelle J C Oliveira
1Post-Graduate Program in Public Health, University of Fortaleza, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. alexandreliborio@yahoo.com.br
Insights
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in children with visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Secondary infections, low serum albumin, and high serum globulin are key risk factors for AKI in these pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nephrology
- Infectious Diseases
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Limited research exists on renal function in pediatric visceral leishmaniasis (VL).
- Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a potential complication requiring investigation.
- Understanding AKI incidence and risk factors is crucial for patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of AKI in children diagnosed with VL.
- To identify risk factors associated with AKI development in pediatric VL patients.
- To utilize the pediatric Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, End-stage kidney disease (pRIFLE) classification for AKI assessment.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study of 146 children under 14 years with VL.
- Data collected from a single center in Northeast Brazil (2003-2010).
- AKI evaluated using pediatric Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, End-stage kidney disease (pRIFLE) criteria.
Main Results:
- 45.9% of pediatric VL patients developed AKI.
- AKI patients were younger and more likely to have jaundice and secondary infections.
- Independent risk factors for AKI included secondary infections, low serum albumin, and high serum globulin.
Conclusions:
- Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent complication in children with visceral leishmaniasis (VL).
- Secondary infections, low serum albumin, and high serum globulin levels are significant risk factors for AKI in this population.
- Early identification and management of these risk factors are essential for improving outcomes in pediatric VL.
Background:
There is no comprehensive study about renal function in children with visceral leishmaniasis (VL). The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in children with VL using pRIFLE classification and to determine the risk factors for AKI.
Methods:
A retrospective cohort study was conducted with 146 patients younger than 14 years of age with VL diagnosis in one center located at the northeast of Brazil from December 2003 to 2010. AKI was evaluated by pediatric Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, End-stage kidney disease (pRIFLE) criteria.
Results:
The mean age was 5 ± 4.0 years (range, 5 months to 14 years), and 53.4% were males. AKI was observed in 67 patients (45.9%). The distribution according to the pRIFLE criteria was as follows: risk 45 (67.2%), injury 21 (31.3%), and failure 1 (1.5%). Patients in the AKI group were significantly younger (P < 0.001) and had jaundice (P = 0.028) and secondary infections (P = 0.001) more often than non-AKI patients. The AKI group had a significantly lower serum sodium (P = 0.03), potassium (P = 0.009), serum albumin (P = 0.001), and elevated serum globulins (P = 0.04), and a more prolonged prothrombin time (P = 0.001) at admission. Independent risk factors for AKI were: secondary infections (OR: 3.65, 95% CI: 1.426-9.358, P = 0.007), serum albumin decrement (OR: 1.672, 95% CI: 1.065-2.114, P = 0.019 per each 1 mg dL(-1) serum albumin decrement), and high serum globulin (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.031-1.779, P = 0.029 per each 1 mg dL(-1) serum globulin increment).
Conclusions:
AKI is a frequent complication in children with VL. The risk factors for AKI were secondary infections, high serum globulin and low serum albumin.
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