Effectiveness of erythropoietin in correcting anemia in patients of chronic kidney disease.

Abstract

Objectives: The anemia of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is commonly normocytic and normochromic. The objective of current study was to see the effectiveness of erythropoietin in correcting anemia in children with CKD. Study Design: Descriptive case series. Setting: Department of Nephrology, at The Children’s hospital and the institute of child health, Multan. Period: From March 2018 to September 2018. Material & Methods: A total of 79 children with CKD were enrolled in this study. A standard dose of erythropoietin 100 IU/kg was given s/c biweekly and after 4 weeks patients were assessed for improvement in Hemoglobin (Hb) level. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS-18. Results: Of the 79 cases, 48 (60.8%) were boys and 31 (39.2 %) girls. Mean age amongst cases was 9.92 ± 2.60 years and mean weight 19.65 ± 4.71 Kilograms. Mean baseline hemoglobin level of our study cases was 7.88 ± 1.09 gm/dl. Mean hemoglobin level after 4 weeks of therapy with Erythropoietin was 9.22 ± 1.04 gm/dl. Majority of our study cases i.e. 56 (70.88 %) were having stage 1 and 2 of CKD. Correction of anemia (effectiveness) was seen in 72 (91.1%) of our study cases. Conclusion: Recombinant human erythropoietin aid major improvement / correction of anemia in children with CKD. This drug can be safely used in children with CKD disease without any side effects such as hypertension.