Estimation of glomerular filtration rate in a pediatric setting at the Charles-de-Gaulle Pediatric University Hospital in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: A comparison of the Schwartz and Pottel methods

Abstract

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the best indicator of kidney function. In clinical practice, it is most often estimated using equations derived from serum creatinine levels. The objective of our study was to evaluate the performance of two GFR estimators in a pediatric hospital setting in Ouagadougou. This was a prospective study conducted from October 1, 2018 to April 4, 2019. It included children aged 5 to 15 years hospitalized in the medical pediatrics department of the Charles de-Gaulle Pediatric University Hospital. The gold standard was creatinine clearance calculated from a 24-hour urine collection. One hundred patients were included in the study. The median age was 9 years and the sex ratio was 1.5. The median creatinine clearance was 79.69 mL/min/1.73 m2. The median GFR estimated using the Schwartz-2009 and Pottel formulas were 86.07 and 84.31 mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively. For 95% of patients, the differences between the GFR estimated by the Schwartz formula and the measured creatinine clearance ranged from -95.55 to 105.52 mL/min/1.73 m2. These differences range from -101.38 to 102.52 mL/min/1.73 m2 for the GFR estimated by the Pottel formula. Although the Schwartz-2009 and Pottel formulas were developed from populations different from our own, they are suitable for our context. However, the Pottel formula appears to have a certain superiority over the Schwartz formula, with narrower limits of agreement and a lower degree of overestimation of creatinine clearance.