The largest ever conference for children’s kidney disease began at a south London NHS Trust on Thursday to examine complications and treatments for children with serious kidney disease requiring dialysis.
The First International Conference Of Critical Care Nephrology In Children, held by King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, will be attended by 500 healthcare professionals from over 52 different countries over the next two days.
Delegates will be given hands-on training to support them to provide safe and timely dialysis to children whose kidneys fail whilst admitted to intensive care units.
Speakers will include specialists in the management of critically ill children, including those with kidney disease.
BAFTA award winning actor Jason Watkins will also attend the event, as will Helen Hayes, MP for Dulwich and West Norwood.
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which runs a number of clinics and hospitals in south London, is a specialist centre for treatment for critically ill children.
Kidney disease is a condition in which the kidneys are damaged and can’t filter the blood the way they should. It is not common in children but can cause complications including anaemia, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure.
The conference was organised by Professor Akash Deep, Director of Paediatric Intensive Care at the Trust.
He told the Standard: “This is a really significant event, as it brings together the very best people - both nationally and internationally - involved in the management of critically ill children with kidney disease.
“This is a small but highly specialist area of medicine, and one where innovation is happening all the time - so to have so many people in one room is really important, and a big step forward.”
The event has been endorsed by major academic societies, including the Paediatric Critical Care Society (PCCS) and the European Society of Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care (ESPNIC).
