Resumo

TROCHE, A; AVALOS, D; FERREIRA, S  e  ZARZA DE BOLANOS, M. Epidemiological characteristics of chronic renal failure (CRF) in pediatrics. Pediatr. (Asunción) [online]. 2005, vol.32, n.1, pp.34-39. ISSN 1683-9803.

Introduction: CRF is a complex syndrome resulting from the progressive loss of renal function. It is characterized by high morbidity and mortality. Its etiology and incidence vary through different geographic regions. The purpose of this work is to determine the epidemiological characteristics of CRF in pediatric patients seen at the Pediatric Nephrology Service of a reference hospital. Material and methods: Longitudinal, descriptive, observational study. The clinical records of patients with CRF seen at our service from November 1990 to October 2002 were studied. The following parameters were recorded: age, sex, geographic origin, socioeconomic level, etiology, stage of CRF and mortality rate during the study period. Data were analyzed using Epi 6.0. Results: A total of 60 cases of CRF were found. The average annual incidence increased 2.3 patients/year over the first 5 years to 5.8 at the end of the study period. The minimum was 3 cases/year (1992, 1993, 1994), and the maximum 8 cases (1999 and 2002). Average age was 6.4 years (SD 4.4). Most patients were male (ratio 3:2). Most were from the Departments Central and Cordillera, and from Asuncion; most were of low socioeconomic status. Half of cases were referred, the remainder consulted spontaneously. Countereferrence was weak. The most frequent etiology was uropathy. In 53.3% of cases, patients presented with severe CRF. Mortality over the study period was 13%. Conclusions: The incidence of CRF in children has increased over the last years. The relative frequency of CRF in our population was higher in males. The main cause of CRF is uropathy. Most patients presented with severe CRF.

Palavras-chave : chronic renal failure; epidemiology; children.