Renal tubular acidosis in children: state of the art, diagnosis and treatment

Renal tubular acidosis (RTA) is pathophysiological disorder of acid-base metabolism characterized by the presence of hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis caused by renal loss of bicarbonate or by reduced renal tubular excretion of hydrogen ions.1 In Mexico the incidence of RTA is unknown, mainly due to the lack of recording of renal diseases. García de la Puente reported a prevalence of 35 cases/10,000 in the Instituto Nacional de Pediatría (INP).2 However, the diagnostic methodology is not mentioned and biochemical parameters of patients are not shown. In Spain, with a population of 45 million, only 50 cases of hereditary RTA in the renal tubule have been reported and of these only 20 are Spaniards.3 In most European ABSTRACT