Abstract
A 15-year review of children who presented with chronic renal failure (CRF) to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers State of Nigeria, was carried out. Forty-five children (28 boys, 17 girls) with CRF, defined as a glomerular filtration rate below 30 ml/min per 1.73 m2 body surface area or a rise in serum creatinine above 120 µmol/l for at least 6 months, often accompanied by other biochemical abnormalities, were identified. The median annual incidence of CRF was 3.0 per million children. The prevalence of CRF increased from 12.5 in the 1985–1990 periods to 15 per million children after 1995. Acquired disorder was the major cause of CRF. Glomerulopathies were the cause in 53.3% of patients, mainly chronic glomerulonephritis (56.5%) and nephrotic syndrome (30.4%). Hepatitis B surface antigen was positive in 2 patients. Congenital disorders accounted for 28.9% of all cases of CRF, which is lower than data from other countries. Posterior urethral valve was the only congenital disorder causing CRF in the study. No child with hereditary renal disorder as a cause of CRF was identified. Children with congenital disorders were diagnosed at an earlier age. The mortality rate was high (46.7%), as most patients were managed conservatively, since there were no permanent facilities for chronic dialysis or renal transplantation in Nigeria. The study shows that CRF is common in Nigerian children, and there is an urgent need for the establishment of facilities for renal replacement therapy.
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Acknowledgements
This paper was presented at the African Paediatric Nephrology Association in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, 2002. We are grateful to Professor K.E.O. Nkanginieme for correcting the manuscript.
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Editorial comment This is an interesting and alarming paper in that it demonstrates that the slowing (or stagnation) of the world economy can have a devastating impact on child health. Techniques that were available a decade ago in developing countries are no longer available.
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Anochie, I., Eke, F. Chronic renal failure in children: a report from Port Harcourt, Nigeria (1985–2000). Pediatr Nephrol 18, 692–695 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-003-1150-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-003-1150-0