Recovery of Children With Acute Glomerulonephritis

Introduction THE PROGNOSIS of acute glomerulonephritis in children remains controversial. Manyauthors expect only 60%-70% of such patients to recover 1-4 ; whereas others anticipate that 80%-90% will heal. 5-8 These discrepancies aredifficult to evaluate because diagnostic criteria may not have been given, 9-12 the number of cases may be small, 13-16 or the period of followup may be short. 2,17-19 A review of our experience at the Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles was undertaken to determine if the causes of these discrepancies could be eliminated or minimized. Rigid diagnostic criteria were used for inclusion of patients in this study insofar as possible to insure that only patients suffering from acute glomerulonephritis were considered. The historical, physical, and laboratory findings which constituted these criteria are presented in detail. Materials and Methods Selection of Patients .—The diagnostic criteria used for accepting a child in the study included the history of a previously healthy