Pattern of renal disease in children

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Pediatric Nephrology
• Public Health

Background:

• Renal diseases represent a significant health concern, impacting both outpatient and inpatient care.
• Understanding the prevalence and characteristics of renal diseases is crucial for healthcare planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the spectrum of renal diseases encountered in a medical outpatient department in 1992.
• To determine the proportion of renal disease patients requiring hospitalization and the associated resource utilization.
• To highlight the importance of pediatric renal diseases in long-term care planning.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of patient data from a medical outpatient department in 1992.
• Categorization of renal diseases based on diagnosis (urinary tract infection, nephrotic syndrome, acute renal failure).
• Calculation of admission rates, average length of stay, and bed occupancy for renal disease patients.

Main Results:

• 1298 patients with renal diseases were seen; 65.2% had urinary tract infections, and 20.5% had nephrotic syndrome.
• 220 patients (3.3% of medical admissions) required inpatient care.
• Nephrotic syndrome (29%) and acute renal failure (13.1%) were key reasons for admission; average stay was 5.8 days.

Conclusions:

• Urinary tract infections and nephrotic syndrome are prevalent outpatient renal conditions.
• Renal diseases contribute significantly to inpatient medical admissions and resource use.
• Pediatric renal diseases require specific consideration in long-term healthcare service planning, especially at the tertiary care level.