COVID-19 Outcomes in the Hemodialysis Population Characterized

Patients on maintenance hemodialysis (HD) who have had COVID-19 have a higher rate of death, rehospitalization, and respiratory and vascular access problems during the post-COVID-19 period compared with patients on HD who have not had COVID-19, investigators reported at the European Renal Association (ERA) 59th Congress held in Paris, France, and virtually.

The finding is from a national multicenter observational study of 1223 patients on HD: 635 patients recovering from COVID-19 and a control arm of 588 patients with similar characteristics who did not have COVID-19. The control group was selected from the same center as the patients who contracted COVID-19.

The rates of mortality at 28 days and between 28 and 90 days were significantly higher in the COVID-19 group compared with the control arm (3.0% vs 0% and 2.4% vs 0.7%, respectively), according to Savas Ozturk, MD, of Istanbul University in Turkey, and colleagues.

At 28 days, the COVID-19 vs control group had significantly higher rates of respiratory symptoms (23.9% vs 1.9%), rehospitalization (8.2% vs. 4.1%), need for home oxygen support (4.1% vs 0.3%), lower respiratory tract infection (10.2% vs. 1.4%), need for HD catheter replacement (3.3% vs 1.5%), and arteriovenous (AV) fistula thrombosis (2.0% vs 0.3%), the investigators reported.

From 28 to 90 days, the COVID-19 vs control group had significantly higher rates of respiratory symptoms (7.3% vs. 1.7%), rehospitalization (7.1% vs 3.1%), need for home oxygen support (1.9% vs. 0.3%), and AV fistula thrombosis (1.5% vs 0.2%).

Reference

Ozturk S, Turgutalk K, Arici M, et al. The longitudinal evolution of Covid-19 outcomes among hemodialysis patients: A nationwide multicenter controlled study. Presented at: European Renal Association 59th Congress, May 19-22, 2022, Paris, France. Abstract MO166.

This article originally appeared on Renal and Urology News