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Kidney failure is a disease that tends to attack adults after years of living with a bad lifestyle such as the habit of holding urine, rarely consuming water, to a poor diet. But who would have thought that acute kidney failure can also occur in children? Acute kidney failure in children is a serious condition that must be treated immediately but is often difficult to realize the symptoms.
To date, kidney failure is still one of the highest causes of death in Indonesia, including acute kidney failure in children. This disease occurs when a child's kidneys are impaired or damaged suddenly due to certain reasons such as blockage in the urinary tract, high blood pressure, and damage to the kidneys themselves but is usually not chronic or long-term.
But even so, acute kidney failure is not something to be underestimated. Without proper and prompt treatment, acute renal failure in children can cause permanent damage to the kidneys, and without properly functioning kidneys, children will have decreased function to be able to filter body fluids and will have a risk of being infected with toxins from waste substances that should be removed from the body.
What is Acute Kidney Failure in Children Caused by ?
Kidney failure in children can be caused by several factors, ranging from poor lifestyle to damage that occurs within the kidneys themselves. Some of these factors are:
- Lack of fluid intake in the body, this can happen when children rarely drink water.
- Certain chemical poisoning.
- Infected with certain kidney diseases such as kidney inflammation.
- Having inherited genetic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.
- Born with an abnormal kidney tract structure.
What are the Characteristics of Acute Renal Failure in Children ?
Acute kidney failure in children has symptoms that can sometimes be a little minimal, as children with chronic kidney failure may not have symptoms until about 80% of their kidney function is lost. So you should always be aware of any changes in your child's health. Some symptoms that can be seen are:
- Changes in their urination habits (such as micturition becoming more or less frequent).
- Blood pressure that suddenly becomes high.
- Having a habit of holding their pee because it hurts like burning.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Feeling tired easily even with minimal physical activity.
- Shortness of breath.
- Difficult to focus and concentrate on activities.
How Old Does Acute Renal Failure Affect Children ?
In general, acute renal failure usually attacks adults, especially those who have reached the age of 60 years and above. But this does not rule out that acute renal failure can occur in younger people, including children. Acute renal failure can affect anyone regardless of age, from those who have reached the age of 18 years to even 6 months old.
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However, unlike cases of adult kidney failure, most cases of acute kidney failure in children are not caused by bad habits of eating and drinking, but rather due to congenital genetic conditions from birth or due to poisoning of certain chemicals from drugs. Therefore, acute kidney failure in children requires intensive treatment from a doctor immediately.
Can Acute Kidney Failure in Children be Cured ?
Acute kidney failure in children may look scary, especially from your eyes as a parent who only wants your baby back to health. But there is no need to worry because as long as the condition is still declared acute, acute kidney failure in children can still be fully cured and the kidneys can still return to normal as usual.
If diagnosed and treated quickly, the chance of complete recovery will be higher and your child can return to normal activities.
Diagnosis of Acute Renal Failure in Children
When you suspect that your baby may have acute kidney failure, don't hesitate to take him to the doctor immediately. Please note that if your child has acute kidney failure, treatment must be done immediately, so that your child's kidneys can still be saved.
To diagnose acute renal failure in children, doctors need to perform several examinations, such as laboratory tests that can include urine and blood tests, imaging tests such as X-rays, ultrasound or CT scans, to biopsy tests if needed.
Treatment of Acute Renal Failure in Children
Here are some types of treatment methods that can be recommended by doctors:
1. Administration of drugs, usually these drugs are anti-toxic drugs that are done to help your child remove excess toxins in the body, as well as drugs to help control blood pressure if kidney failure is caused by high blood pressure.
2. Dialysis, or better known as dialysis, is a method that uses a special machine designed to temporarily replace the work of the kidneys by washing the blood from harmful substances.
3. Kidney transplantation, which is the last method aimed at the most severe conditions, is to replace the kidneys with donor kidneys. This method is only intended if the kidney condition is too severe and the kidneys cannot work normally.
A strict diet will also be prescribed by the doctor, to help support the child's kidneys and limit the work they have to do while their kidneys are recovering. However, dietary recommendations should only be made based on doctor's advice.
Contact a pediatrician immediately if you notice any symptoms in your child, as the sooner and better the treatment, the higher the chance of recovery.
Thank you for reading this article. Have a nice day.
