All issues > Volume 5(1); 1962

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1962;5(1):29-33. Published online January 31, 1962.

Clinical Management of Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome

Keun Soo Lee¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, The National Medical Center

Abstract

A evaluation of clinical experience in the administration of intensive prednisolone therapy followed by maintenance prophylactic long-term treatment to patients with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome seen at The Department of Pediatrics, National Medical Center, during last years, has been made. Though the follow-up study was not completed yet, the use of steroid therapy seems to be an effective management to the idiopathic nephrotic syndrome. After intensive therapy Prednisolone as a prophylactic measure in does of 30-40 mg per day has used on 3 consecutive days of each week for 6 to 12 months. It is my impression that this measure tends to reduce the number of relapses and could bring about complete biochemical remission although alternate control were not used and no definite data on this point are provided. On the other hand, there is high natural tendency to recovery and reasonable proportion of cases of nephrosis spontaneous remission occurs within the first few months of the disease, and as there is no evidence in this series that early treatment gives a better prognosis than that obtained when steroid treatment is delayed for some months from the onset of the disease and since there are undoubted hazards of side effects from the use of steroids, it is not necessary to be hurry on steroid therapy. Since the use of steroids does not decrease the need from other established principles of management, 1) the control of infection with antibiotics, 2) the maintenance of nutrition with high protein intake, 3) the partial control of edema with a low sodium diet should always be kept in mind beside long term steroid prophylactic treatment.

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