Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a devastating diagnosis with many co-morbidities, increasing the risk of mortality 30 to 150 times that of the general pediatric population. Recognition of at-risk children can lead to earlier screening and risk reduction. Primary care clinicians are often unaware of the comorbid conditions and long-term consequences of CKD, particularly with respect to cardiovascular disease, nutrition and growth, neurocognitive development, and burden of disease.
After completing this article, readers should be able to:
A 13-month-old toddler new to your practice presents for his 1-year health maintenance visit with poor growth and developmental delay. He is just now sitting without support and appears to have occasional leg pain. He is pale, weighs 7.9 kg, and has a normal blood pressure. The results of laboratory studies are remarkable for anemia (hemoglobin, 9 g/dL [90 g/L]), profound acidosis (carbon dioxide, 12 mEq/L [12 mmol/L]), azotemia (urea nitrogen, 117 mg/dL...
Comments