Chronic kidney disease in pregnant women

Abstract

Chronic Kidney Disease, defined as a renal structural or functional alteration that persists for more than 3 months, with or without deterioration of renal function, or a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) < 60 ml / min / 1.73 m2 without other signs of Kidney disease is a prevalent condition in the general population, however, it is not so common to find it in pregnant women. However, a history of kidney disease is associated with worse maternal and fetal outcomes. The standard formulas (CKD-EPI, Cockroft-Gault, and MDRD) used in the non-obstetric population have poor precision in determining glomerular filtration rate, because they underestimate kidney function by approximately 20 %. Creatinine clearance measured using 24-hour urine collections and serum creatinine estimate closely correlates with inulin clearance ("gold standard") and can be used during pregnancy. Early recognition of the disease, optimization of nephroprotection strategies, avoiding nephrotoxic drugs and specific treatment of the etiology, will guarantee a longer survival and fewer complications derived from kidney disease.