195 Children Died of Acute Kidney Disease in Indonesia

Gangguan Ginjal Akut Misterius — IDAI imbau orang tua untuk tidak memberikan obat bebas tanpa rekomendasi nakes pada anak terkait kasus gagal ginjal akut. (unsplash.com/Myriam Zilles)

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - The Ministry of Health noted that the Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) cases in children increased to 324 cases which spread across 28 provinces as of 6 November 2022.

The spokesperson of the Ministry of Health M. Syahril also revealed that there were 195 patients dead from AKI. Other 102 patients already recovered.

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"Yesterday, on the 6th, there were no reported cases, either new cases or old cases. Including the death case," Syahril said in a press conference on Monday (7/11).

DKI Jakarta became the province with the most cases of AKI in Indonesia with 83 cases. Followed by West Java with 41 cases and Aceh with 32 cases.

Syahril also revealed that there has been no new case of AKI since November 2.

The most recent case was caused by the consumption of syrup medicine from the pharmacy. The ministry already made announcement to stop selling some of the brands.

"New cases of acute kidney injury have decreased since the announcment was issued by the Ministry of Health on 18 October 2022 which prohibits health workers and pharmacies from prescribing syrup medicine to children," Syahril said.

Previously, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that AKI was caused by the consumption of syrup medicine. According to him, each syrup contains an additional solvent.

"This is an additional solvent that is rarely written in the active compounds of the medicine and the additional solvent is actually harmful. If the quality of additional solvent production is poor, it can cause contamination," Budi explained during a press conference at the Ministry of Health, Jakarta on Friday (21/10).

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The Process Inside the Body

Minister of Health Republic of Indonesia Budi Gunadi Sadikin (Dok Humas Sekretariat Kabinet RI/Oji)

Ministry Budi said that those three compounds enter the body, causing the process of metabolism. The body's natural metabolism converts the compounds into oxalic acid, a harmful chemical substance.

"Metabolism converts them into oxalic acid," the Minister of Health said.

Oxalic acid that enters the kidneys can become a harmful calcium oxalate.

"It looks like small sharp crystals. So, if there are small sharp crystals in our toddlers, the kidneys are damaged," he added.

Budi also said that mortality rate has decreased since the use of Fomepizole, an antidote used as a treatment for AKI patients.

The distribution of Fomepizole was expanded on 25 October 2022. Initially, they were only distributed to Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital. Now, they were delivered to 17 hospitals in 11 provinces of Indonesia.

About 87% of Fomepizole imported by the Ministry of Health are donations from friendly countries. For information, out of a total of 324 children affected by AKI, 102 recovered, 194 died, and 28 were still under treatment.

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Cases Update as of 3 November

Acute Kidney Injury (AKI). Foto: Unspalsh.

Syahril noted that as of Thursday (3/11), there were 323 cases of patients who developed AKI, of which 190 patients were reported dead.

He said that from the total confirmed cases, two cases were omitted because no alleged cause was found.

It is known that the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, at the Commission IX meeting with the DPR, said that 325 children were confirmed with AKI, 179 of whom died.

"We want to convey that the recording and reporting of cases of this acute kidney injury are very dynamic, like the previous acute hepatitis," said Syahril during a press conference broadcasted online on Friday (4/11).

Syahril explained that there were 323 cases of acute kidney injury spread across 28 provinces. DKI Jakarta became the highest contributor to AKI cases followed by West Java, Aceh, East Java, and West Sumatra.

He also said that cases of acute kidney injury in children in Indonesia increased at the end of August 2022. Then, cases of kidney failure continued to rise during September and October 2022.

Writer: Adelina Wahyu Martanti.