Children with kidney disease complications

What are the complications of childhood kidney disease? Nephrotic syndrome in children is a common type of kidney disease. The occurrence of this disease brings great pain to children. If nephrotic syndrome is not treated in time, it will lead to many complications, which will cause greater harm to children. So, what are the complications of nephrotic syndrome in children? Let me introduce them to you below.

The main symptoms of nephrotic syndrome in children are large amounts of proteinuria, followed by hypoproteinemia, hyperlipidemia and varying degrees of edema. The edema of nephrotic syndrome in children is pitting edema of both lower limbs. The common complications of nephrotic syndrome in children are specifically introduced as follows:

(1) Infection: As a large amount of immunoglobulin is lost in the urine, plasma protein decreases, affecting antibody formation. The use of adrenocortical hormones and cytotoxic substances reduces the patient's overall resistance and makes it very easy to get infected, such as skin infection, primary peritonitis, respiratory tract infection, urinary tract infection, and even induce sepsis.

(2) Coronary heart disease: Children with nephrotic syndrome often have hyperlipidemia and hypercoagulable blood, making them prone to coronary heart disease. Some people report that the incidence of myocardial infarction in patients with nephrotic syndrome is 8 times higher than that of normal people. Coronary heart disease has become the third cause of death in nephrotic syndrome (second only to infection and renal failure).

(3) Thrombosis: Children with nephrotic syndrome are prone to thrombosis, especially those with membranous nephropathy, with an incidence rate of up to 25% to 40%. Causes of thrombosis include edema, low patient activity, venous congestion, hyperlipidemia, increased viscosity due to hemoconcentration, excessive fibrinogen content, increased factors V, VII, VIII, and X, and the use of adrenal cortex hormones that make the blood prone to hypercoagulable state.

(4) Acute renal failure: Children with nephrotic syndrome often have low blood volume and hypercoagulable state due to massive proteinuria, hypoproteinemia, hyperlipidemia, vomiting, diarrhea, and the use of antihypertensive and diuretic drugs for large amounts of diuresis, which can cause a sudden decrease in renal blood perfusion, thereby reducing the glomerular filtration rate and leading to acute renal failure. In addition, factors such as renal interstitial edema and protein concentration forming casts that block renal tubules in nephrotic syndrome can also induce acute renal failure.

(5) Electrolyte and metabolic disorders: Repeated use of diuretics or unreasonable long-term salt abstinence can cause secondary hyponatremia in children with nephrotic syndrome. The use of adrenocortical hormones and large amounts of diuretics leads to large amounts of urination. If potassium is not supplemented in time, hypokalemia is likely to occur.

The above is what the editor introduced to you about the complications of nephrotic syndrome in children. Through the description of the above complications, I hope that parents and friends must learn more about nephrotic syndrome, detect it early and treat it early, and try to avoid the harm caused to children by the occurrence of these complications.