Acute Poststreptococcal Glomerulonephritis at a Single Center Before and During the Pandemic

Background: Acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis (APSGN) remains an important cause of hospitalization among pediatric patients in low- to middle-income countries. During the pandemic, healthcare delivery faced further challenges, delaying diagnosis and management of childhood illnesses, which may contribute to disease severity. Limited studies explore the state of diagnosis and treatment of APSGN before and during the pandemic. Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the demographic, clinical, and laboratory profiles of pediatric patients diagnosed with APSGN before the pandemic (2017–2019) versus during the pandemic (2020–2022) and to determine which factors are associated with length of hospital stay (LOS). Methodology: An analytic cross-sectional study was conducted in a local government hospital. Medical charts of 102 patients <18 years old clinically diagnosed with APSGN based on hematuria, edema, hypertension, and/or oliguria admitted from January 2017 to December 2022 were reviewed. Results: The mean age of patients was 7 years; 57 (56%) were female. Demographic, clinical manifestation, and laboratory profiles were not significantly different before and during the pandemic (all P > 0.05). The median LOS was 6 days. Elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (adjusted odds ratio [OR] =1.04; P = 0.018) and low C3 level (adjusted OR = 0.97; P = 0.042) were significantly associated with LOS. Conclusion: The demographic, clinical, and laboratory profiles of APSGN patients before and during the pandemic were comparable. Elevated BUN and low C3 levels are significantly associated with LOS.