Mülteci çocukların renal sağlığı: süregelen bir zorluk

Aim: Its geographical proximity to Syria makes Turkey an important destination and transit country for refugees from various countries. The aim of this study is to determine the kidney and urological disease profile and to reveal the ongoing problems of refugee children who applied to a single center in Adana, home to a dense refugee population. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the largest single center experience with the refugee pediatric patient population in this field. Methods: Medical records of 614 refugee children admitted to the pediatric nephrology and urology departments between February 2020 and May 2022 evaluated retrospectively. A total of 530 patients were included in the study. Results: Median age of the 530 patients (301 male/229 female) was 72 months. The median follow-up time was 7 months (IQR 14 months). Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract with 181 patients (34.2%) is the most common diagnosis. The frequency of chronic kidney disease (CKD) of the patients was determined as 25% with 132 patients. 64 (12%) of the patients required surgical intervention. It was observed that 322 (61%) of the patients did not come to their regular follow-ups and delayed their follow-up. Conclusion: Irregular follow-up and delaying the treatment can lead to sad consequences in patients with CKD in the long term. We believe that regular patient follow-up will have a positive impact on the long-term follow-up results of the patients and on the health costs of the country hosting the refugee patient profile.