[Acute renal failure. 3 years' activity of a pediatric dialysis unit]

Acute renal failure is a frequent and dramatic clinical syndrome, producing a wide variety of serious and potentially lethal disorders in infancy. Review of 30 cases of severe acute renal failure occurred from 1985 in our unit reveals that the major causes are: acute tubular necrosis (33%), hemolytic uremic syndrome (16%), post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (16%). 16 patients aged from 7 days to 15 years weighing 2 to 59 kilos, underwent dialysis: 8 HD, 7 PD, 1 both. Functional recovery occurred in 13 patients (82%); 3 patients died for the condition that precipitated renal insufficiency.