Abstract
BACKGROUND: World Kidney Day (WKD) is an annual global campaign meant to raise awareness about the importance of kidneys and reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease but the focus is usually on adults and not children. This is a report of screening of children during WKD 2011 in Giwa, a semiurban community in Nigeria. METHODOLOGY: The importance of screening was communicated through talks, songs and plays. Blood pressure (BP), weight and height were measured and dipstick urinalysis done. Proteinuria, hematuria, glycosuria and nitrituria were defined as 1+ or more, hypertension as BP greater than 95% for age, gender, and height. RESULTS: A total of 115 children (3 to 15 years, mean 9.97±3 years) participated; 93(80.8%) were male, 89(77.4%) were students. Six (6.4%) of 94 children whose BP were measured were hypertensive. Proteinuria, haematuria, glycosuria was detected in 3(2.7%), 2(1.8%) and 16(14.9%) respectively of 107 children. No child had nitrituria. Only one child went to the tertiary centre for follow up.CONCLUSION: Mass screening for hypertension, proteinuria, haematuria, glycosuria may be worthwhile but not for urinary tract infection. Data collected during WKD on a national scale could help determinate the cost benefit of screening and contribute to development of national screening policies in resource constrained countries. WKD offers opportunities to screen children who might otherwise be missed (e.g. those who don’t attend school and/or in rural areas). Greater effort must be made to follow up those with abnormalities. This could be done by evaluating them in local health centres.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call