Factors Associated with Mortality and Long-Term Outcomes of Pediatric Acute Kidney Injury in a Resource Limited Setting.

INTRODUCTION: Despite being a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, acute kidney injury (AKI) is worse in resource-limited areas. This study explores AKI incidence, inhospital mortality, and long-term outcomes in resource-limited settings. METHODS: This was a prospective study of children with AKI from 2014 to 2019. KDIGO 2012 defined AKI. We assessed the etiology, inhospital mortality, and long-term outcome of AKI in a mission hospital. RESULTS: Only 169 of 201 AKI patients had complete data. The ages ranged from 1.08 months to 17.5 years; 65.7% were male and 65.1% were from lower socioeconomic class. The incidence of AKI was 59.6 cases per 1,000 persons (95% CI: 5.42, 47.1). Most patients had stage 1 KDIGO AKI (91; 53.8%). 1-5 years old had the highest incidence of AKI (65; 38.5%); sepsis (26.6%), severe malaria (15.4%), and nephrotic syndrome (14.8%) were common AKI causes. Fever (72.8%), pallor (52.1%), and vomiting (45.6%) were the most common symptoms. Thirty-two (27.8%) patients had high blood pressure. Inhospital mortality was 14.8% (95% CI: 9.8, 21.1). The cumulative incidence of AKI-related mortality was 93.2 per 1,000 person-years. Poor outcome was associated with breathlessness, hyponatremia, and leukocytosis. Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed 81% (CI: 74-87%) survival after 5 years of AKI. On Cox proportional-hazards analysis, the absence of breathlessness (HR: 2.537, 95%: CI 1.210-5.317) and hyponatremia (HR: 2.914, 95% CI: 1.343-6.324) were associated with increased survival. CONCLUSION: In resource-limited settings, infectious diseases and nephrotic syndrome are common causes of AKI. Factors associated with mortality include breathlessness and hyponatremia.

Diagnosing renal failure due to diethylene glycol in children in a resource-constrained setting.

BACKGROUND: In 2008, several Nigerian children developed acute kidney injury (AKI) after ingesting teething syrup contaminated with diethylene glycol (DEG). Because there are limited diagnostic facilities in resource-constrained countries, this study investigated whether AKI associated with DEG could be identified by other means. METHODS: This was a multicenter study. Information was obtained from hospital records. Clinicopathological features of all children with AKI over a 6-month period were reviewed. RESULTS: Sixty (50.4%) of 119 children ingested "My pikin" teething syrup. Compared to children who had not ingested it, they were significantly (p < 0.05) younger (11.95 vs. 31 months), more were anuric (98.3 vs. 74.6%), hypertensive (84 vs. 52%), had severe metabolic acidosis (46.7 vs. 20.5%), and died (96.6 vs. 71.2%). They developed increasing metabolic acidosis and multiorgan dysfunction despite peritoneal dialysis. Late presentation, financial difficulties, inadequate facilities for toxicology, and hemodialysis complicated management. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying AKI associated with DEG is difficult. Detailed drug history, increasing metabolic acidosis, and multiorgan deterioration despite peritoneal dialysis should arouse suspicion. Simple diagnostic tests need to be developed and facilities for hemodialysis of infants and financial support provided. Recurrences can be prevented by creating awareness, improving manufacturing practices, field-testing of drugs, and international monitoring of pharmaceuticals imported for manufacture.

Factors Associated with Medication Nonadherence among Hypertensives in Ghana and Nigeria.

Background. Blood pressure (BP) control is poor among hypertensives in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. A potentially modifiable factor for control of BP is medication nonadherence (MNA); our study therefore aimed to determine factors associated with MNA among hypertensives in Ghana and Nigeria. Methodology. We conducted a multicenter cross-sectional study. Patients were recruited from Korle-Bu Hospital (n = 120), Ghana; and University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, (n = 73) Apapa General Hospital Lagos (n = 79) and University College Hospital Ibadan (n = 85), Nigeria. Results. 357 hypertensive patients (42.6% males) participated. MNA was found in 66.7%. Adherence showed correlation with depression (r = -0.208, P < 0.001), concern about medications (r = -0.0347, P = 0.002), and knowledge of hypertension (r = 0.14, P = 0.006). MNA was associated with formal education (P = 0.001) and use of herbal preparation (P = 0.014). MNA was found in 61.7% of uninsured participants versus 73.1% of insured participants (P = 0.032). Poor BP control was observed in 69.7% and there was significant association between MNA and poor BP control (P = 0.006). Conclusion. MNA is high among hypertensives in Ghana and Nigeria and is associated with depression, concern about hypertensive medications, formal education, and use of herbal preparations. The negative association between health insurance and MNA suggests interplay of other factors and needs further investigation.

Plasma homocysteine and B vitamins levels in Nigerian children with nephrotic syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: Available data on plasma homocysteine level in patients with nephrotic syndrome (NS) are controversial with increased, decreased and unchanged values reported. Therefore, plasma homocysteine and serum B vitamins in Nigerian children with NS were assessed in this study. METHODS: Fasting blood samples were analysed for plasma homocysteine, serum folate and B vitamins in 42 children with NS and 42 age and sex-matched healthy controls in this case control study. Data were compared between NS and control using t test and Chi square. Relationships were tested with regression analysis with p set at 0.05. RESULTS: Prevalence of hyperhomocysteinaemia, low folate and cyanocobalamin in NS was 57.1%, 14.3% and 9.5% respectively. The mean homocysteine level was significantly higher in NS than control (11.3±2.6 µmol/L versus 5.5±2.3 µmol/L). Also, NS had lower folate and cyanocobalamin than control: 9.1±3.9 ng/mL versus 11.2±3.1 ng/dL and 268.5±95.7 pg/mL versus 316±117.2 pg/mL respectively. Weak but significant correlation between homocysteine and serum albumin (r = 0.347), folate (r = -0.607) and vitamin B12 (r = -0.185) were found in the NS group. Significant relationship was also found between homocysteine and vitamin B12 (ß = -0.64, 95% CI = -1.20, -0.08) after controlling for folate and vitamin B6 levels. CONCLUSION: Clinically important hyperhomocysteinaemia and low B vitamins occur in Nigerian children with nephrotic syndrome. This data suggest that potential usefulness of folate and vitamin B supplementation for reducing high homocysteine levels in nephrotic syndrome need to be further investigated.

Peritoneal dialysis in childhood acute kidney injury: experience in southwest Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: The choices for renal replacement therapy (RRT) in childhood acute kidney injury (AKI) are limited in low-resource settings. Peritoneal dialysis (PD) appears to be the most practical modality for RRT in young children with AKI in such settings. Data from sub-Saharan Africa on the use of PD in childhood AKI are few. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of children who underwent PD for AKI at a tertiary-care hospital in southwest Nigeria from February 2004 to March 2011 (85 months). RESULTS: The study included 27 children (55.6% female). Mean age was 3.1 ± 2.6 years, with the youngest being 7 days, and the oldest, 9 years. The causes of AKI were intravascular hemolysis (n = 11), septicemia (n = 8), acute glomerulonephritis (n = 3), gastroenteritis (n = 3), and hemolytic uremic syndrome (n = 2). Peritoneal dialysis was performed manually using percutaneous or adapted catheters. Duration of PD ranged from 6 hours to 12 days (mean: 5.0 ± 3.3 days). The main complications were peritonitis (n = 10), pericatheter leakage (n = 9), and catheter outflow obstruction (n = 5). Of the 27 patients, 19 (70%) survived till discharge. CONCLUSIONS: In low-resource settings, PD can be successfully performed for the management of childhood AKI. In our hospital, the use of adapted catheters may have contributed to the high complication rates. Peritoneal dialysis should be promoted for the management of childhood AKI in low-resource settings, and access to percutaneous or Tenckhoff catheters, dialysis fluid, and automated PD should be increased.