Clinical spectrum and predictive risk factors of major infections in hospitalized children with nephrotic syndrome.

This observational study was conducted with the primary objective of studying the incidence of major infections in nephrotic syndrome (NS), while the secondary objectives were to evaluate the risk factors for and the etiological spectrum of major infections. Eighty six children up to 13 years of age fulfilling the International Study of Kidney Disease in Children (ISKDC) criteria for NS, who required 101 hospital admissions were recruited from November 2010 to July 2012. Major infections were defined as those that are disseminated, affecting deep organs, requiring hospitalization or potentially life-threatening. The incidence of major infections was 36.6%. Among the major infections, peritonitis and pneumonia together accounted for 72.9%, while urinary tract infections and cellulitis accounted for 16.2%. On logistic regression, severe ascites and more severe clinical types of NS independently predicted major infections, while serum cholesterol >400 mg/dL was the sole predictor of peritonitis.