Abstract

On February 6, 2023, 11 provinces in Türkiye were hit by two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.7 and 7.6 in magnitude. This disaster resulted in over 50,000 deaths and more than 107,000 injuries. Among the injured were 903 children, whose experiences were documented by the Turkish Pediatric Nephrology Association, providing essential insights into pediatric kidney injuries following this disaster.
In this study, various aspects related to child earthquake victims in the context of the 2023 Türkiye earthquake, including basic demographic data, children at risk for acute kidney injury (AKI), preferred dialysis methods, challenges in managing dialysis, and dialysis-related complications in children with crush injuries, are discussed in the light of current literature.
The data showed that children spent an average of 13 hours trapped under rubble, with some enduring over 120 hours, and 31 of them survived. Out of 425 surgical patients, 96 needed amputations, and crush-related AKI occurred in 314 cases, representing 36% of the affected children. Sadly, 22 children lost their lives, including 20 within the first four days of admission.
The key principles to remember during earthquakes are the separate evaluation of pediatric victims from adults due to their unique physiological characteristics, and since severe AKI, regardless of its cause, significantly raises the risk of chronic kidney disease and hypertension, prompt treatment and careful follow-up to protect long-term kidney health and overall well-being during disasters.

Keywords: acute kidney injury, disaster, earthquake, children, crush injury