OBJECTIVE

To assess the factors that affect the mortality in acute renal failure (ARF) in children.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We studied 149 patients with ARF and described the findings by age, gender, pathophysiological mechanism of renal damage, and type of renal damage, which can be oligoanuric and/or septic. We used multiple logistic analysis, Cox analysis for survival, and Kaplan-Meier curves.

RESULTS

The male/female ratio was 91/58. The most affected age groups were newborns (44.3%) and infants (37.6%). The ARF mechanism was ischemic in 87 cases (58%) and the most frequent clinical type was nonoliguric in 118 cases (79.2%). In the multiple logistic regression analysis, only oliguria (P=0.07) and age group (P=0.049) were associated with mortality. In the survival analysis using the Cox method, oliguria (P=0.003) and sepsis (P=0.03) were associated with mortality. The survival curves showed that the cumulative probability of dying in the first 10, 20, or 40 days after the event was 75, 70, and 45% respectively. When oliguria was present, the survival at day 10 was 47% and when sepsis was present it was 68%.

CONCLUSION

Oliguria, age, and sepsis are factors associated with mortality in children with ARF.