Acute renal failure in neonates

ABSTRACT

Acute renal failure [ARF] is a common problem in admitted neonates in intensive care units. In most patients ARF accompanies with a predisposing factor such as sepsis, heart failure, perinatal asphyxia or prematurity. This study was to determine the causes and outcome of ARF in hospitalized newborn. In a descriptive cross sectional study we evaluated neonates with ARF who had been hospitalized in Children welfare teaching Hospital from July 2009 to july2010. There were 50 cases diagnosed as ARF in 2500 hospitalized neonates [2%].The male to female ratio in patients with ARF was 3.161. Most of involved patients were term 35[70%]. The prevalence of renal, pre renal and post renal causes of ARF was 29 [58%], 15[30%] and 6[12%] respectively. The most common predisposing factors for ARF in our study was sepsis 28[56%], genitorenal anomalies 15[30%], perinatal asphyxia 3[6%], drug toxicity in 3[6%]. One patient [2%] had respiratory distress syndrome. Among admitted neonates with ARF 6[12%] died and it was significantly higher in patients with sepsis [P<0.05]. ARF is a common emergency entity, physicians play a critical role in recognizing early ARF, preventing iatrogenic injury, and reversing the course of ARF