Prevalence of chronic kidney disease in the pediatric population: a panel study based on a Colombian national registry.

OBJECTIVE

To characterize the epidemiological profile of chronic kidney disease among the pediatric population in Colombia.

METHODS

An observational study using panel data from the "Cuenta de Alto Costo" registry was conducted. Patients under 18 years of age with a diagnosis of chronic kidney disease reported between July 2019 and June 2020 were included. Prevalence was calculated and stratified by age, sex, and region. Etiologies were also described.

RESULTS

The prevalence of chronic kidney disease among patients under 18 years was 153.1 cases per million population (pmp), with an upward trend from 2019 to 2023, increasing from 100 to 367.1 pmp. The most frequent etiology was unknown (75.8%), followed by congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (10.7%) and glomerulonephritis (5.3%).

CONCLUSION

In Colombia, the prevalence of chronic kidney disease in the pediatric population is higher than that reported globally. However, the high proportion of cases with unknown etiology is notable; among identified etiologies, congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract and glomerulopathies were the most frequent. These findings highlight the need to improve epidemiological records and establish diagnostic guidelines to determine the etiology of chronic kidney disease.