NABH accredited Lilavati Hospital, Bandra, conducted a workshop on  nephrology recently in Mumbai.

The workshop saw discussions on kidney specific diseases which are fairly common in children and parents, but doctors tend to miss these diseases because signs are only recognized only when kidney function is lost by 80 per cent.  Sixty per cent of kidney problems in children are due to anomalies (small kidneys, defective ureter etc.) which can be easily detected before birth and a treatment can be initiated to prevent permanent damage to the kidneys.

Dr Varsha Phadke, head of Department, K J Somaiya Medical College, said that nephrotic syndrome is a disease in which there is leaky filters which lead to loss of proteins which in turn leads to generalized swelling, high blood pressure and increased chances of infections. As nephrotic syndrome relapses frequently it is difficult to treat.

Dr Alpana Ohri, paediatric nephrologist, B J Wadia Hospital, explained, “In Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) the kidney function decreases and lasts for more than three months. It leads to multiple complications like: anaemia, high blood pressure, bone abnormalities, electrolyte imbalance and acid base disorders which requires medical treatment. But the conservative treatment is only a medication given upto stage four of CKD.”

Dr Kamini Mehta, consulting paediatric nephrologist, Lilavati Hospital, spoke on renal replacement therapy – HD, CAPD, TKT. Dr Mehta said, “Kidney transplant is done when functions are reduced to less than 10 per cent of normal, stage five of CKD.”

Dr Pankaj Deshpande, paediatric nephrologist, Hinduja Hospital, informed that Renal Tubular Acidosis is a disorder in which patient is unable to throw out acids from body which are normally formed during various metabolism in body. Accumulation of acids leads to decreased appetite, growth failure, and soft bones.

Dr Vaishali More, paediatric nephrologist, Lilavati Hospital, stressed about UTI (Urinary Tract Infection), a disease where many of these patients have underlying renal anomalies and VUR (Vesicouretric reflux), a disease in which there is reversal of urinary flow from bladder into ureters which leads to repeated urinary tract infection, kidney infection and kidney damage.