Canadian Society of Nephrology Commentary on the 2012 KDIGO clinical practice guideline for glomerulonephritis: management of nephrotic syndrome in children

Abstract

The KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) clinical practice guideline for management of glomerulonephritis was recently released. The Canadian Society of Nephrology convened a working group to review the recommendations and comment on their relevancy and applicability to the Canadian context. A subgroup of pediatric nephrologists reviewed the guideline statements for management of childhood nephrotic syndrome and agreed with most of the guideline statements developed by KDIGO. This commentary highlights areas in which there is lack of evidence and areas in need of translation of evidence into clinical practice. Areas of controversy or uncertainty, including the length of corticosteroid therapy for the initial presentation and relapses, definitions of steroid resistance, and choice of second-line agents, are discussed in more detail. Existing practice variation is also addressed.

Keywords: Canadian Society of Nephrology (CSN); Clinical practice guideline implementation; KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes); corticosteroids; glomerulonephritis; nephrotic syndrome; pediatric.