Clinical characterisation of children with nephrotic syndrome
| Remission | Three consecutive days of trace or negative proteinuria* on dipstick |
| Relapse | Three consecutive days of ≥3+ proteinuria on dipstick |
| Steroid sensitive | Remission with an initial 8-week course of oral steroids |
| Steroid resistant | No remission after an 8-week course of oral steroids† |
| Frequently relapsing | Four or more relapses in 12 months, or two or more in the initial 6 months of therapy |
| Steroid dependent | Two consecutive relapses while on, or within 14 days of ceasing, corticosteroids |
*Formal quantification of proteinuria may be performed using a spot urine protein:creatinine ratio; a value of<20 mg/mmol corresponds to remission and >200 mg/mmol to relapse.
†As defined by International Study for Kidney Disease in Children (ISKDC) and Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO); definitions used in other studies vary from 4 to 8 weeks.