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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Skepticism about performing renal biopsies is often because of uncertainty regarding risk of complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate safety and relevant complications of renal biopsies in pediatric and adult patients in a large national registry study. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, 0.9% of patients needed blood transfusion, and 0.2% of patients needed surgical intervention/catheterization. The frequencies were 1.9%, 0.9%, and 0.2% in adults and 1.7%, 0.1% and 0.1% in children, respectively; 97.9% of the biopsies were without complications. In unadjusted analyses, risk factors for major complications were age>60 years, estimated GFR<60 ml/min per 1.73 m(2), systolic hypertension, acute renal failure, and smaller clinical center size (<30 biopsies/yr). Adjusted analyses (adjusted for age and/or estimated GFR) showed higher odds ratios (OR) only for smaller clinical center (OR=1.60 1.02-2.50) and low estimated GFR (estimated GFR=30-59 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) OR=4.90 (1.60-14.00) and estimated GFR<30 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) OR 15.50 (5.60-43.00)). CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous renal biopsy is a low-risk procedure in all ages. Reduced estimated GFR and smaller center size are associated with an increased risk of major complications.
Tøndel et al. (Sat,) studied this question.