Results are reported from this nationwide 24-month study conducted between 2007 and 2009 by the New Zealand Paediatric Surveillance Unit in order to define epidemiology and clinical features of acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (APSGN) in children aged 0–14 years hospitalised with the illness. The study involved 215 paediatricians who reported 176 new hospitalised cases fulfilling a case definition of definite (haematuria with low C3 and high streptococcal titres or biopsy-proven APSGN; n=138) or probable (haematuria with low C3 or high streptococcal titres; n=38). Of all cases, 63% were residing in the Auckland metropolitan region and 67% were in the most deprived quintile. The annual incidence was 9.7/100,000 and overrepresented by Pacific and Māori children (45.5 and 15.7) compared with 2.6/100,000 European/other and 2.1/100,000 Asian. The highest annual incidence was recorded in the South Auckland Metropolitan region (31/100 000), versus 14.9 in Central Auckland, 5.9 in the West/North Auckland metropolitan region and 5.5 for the remainder of New Zealand. The highest age-specific incidence was among children aged 5–9 years (15.1/100,000). Reduced serum complement C3, gross haematuria, hypertension, impairment of renal function and heavy proteinuria were found in 93%, 87%, 72%, 67% and 44% of patients, respectively. Severe hypertension was closely associated with either symptoms of an acute encephalopathy or congestive heart failure.
