Reflections on two consensus documents about chronic kidney disease

According to data from the EPIRCE1 (epidemiology of chronic renal disease in Spain) research study, chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects up to 9.2% of the Spanish population, 6.8% of which have advanced-stage disease, including prior definition of chronic renal failure (CRF) or estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of <60 ml/min/1.73 m2. The Spanish Society of Nephrology (SEN) has been concerned about this major epidemiological problem for years, which, in its most advanced stage (stage 5 CKD in renal replacement therapy [RRT]), accounts for 2.5% of the total Spanish health budget. The SEN has therefore created a specific working group, known as the Strategic Action Group, for the purpose of continuously monitoring this problem and establishing contacts with other scientific societies to adopt and improve the multidisciplinary approach to this serious public health challenge. In 2006 the consensus document for appropriate calculation of GFR was therefore published jointly with the Spanish Society of Clinical Chemistry2 (SEQC), and in 2007 the first consensus document for CKD management was prepared jointly with the Spanish Society for Family and Community Medicine3 (semFYC). SEN also created a specific working group for the creation of “Strategies in Renal Health”, which were then reported to the Ministry of Health. These strategies were also discussed Editorial