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Published on: February 2, 2021
Acute Kidney Injury in the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease
Jing-Yi Qian1, Bin Wang1, Bi-Cheng Liu1
1Institute of Nephrology, Zhong Da Hospital, Southeast University School of Medicine, Nanjing, China.
Insights
This review examines acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). COVID-19-induced AKI is a critical complication that significantly increases mortality rates.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Infectious Diseases
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, is a global pandemic.
- While often presenting with mild flu-like symptoms, 20% of patients develop severe disease with multi-organ injury.
- Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent and fatal complication of severe COVID-19.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current understanding of acute kidney injury (AKI) in COVID-19 patients.
- To summarize the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19-induced AKI.
- To provide insights for the global fight against and treatment of COVID-19.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of up-to-date studies on COVID-19 and AKI.
- Synthesis of clinical characteristics, risk factors, and outcomes.
- Focus on current understanding and management strategies.
Main Results:
- COVID-19 frequently involves the kidneys, leading to AKI.
- AKI in COVID-19 patients is associated with significantly higher mortality.
- Understanding the clinical presentation and pathophysiology is crucial.
Conclusions:
- COVID-19-induced AKI is a serious complication with high mortality.
- Further research is needed to optimize diagnosis and treatment strategies.
- This review consolidates current knowledge to aid clinicians.
Background:
The 2019 novel coronavirus disease (CO-VID-19) is a newly defined serious infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The epidemic started in Wuhan, China, in December of 2019 and quickly spread to over 200 countries. It has affected 4,258,666 people, with 294,190 deaths worldwide by May 15, 2020. COVID-19 is characterized by acute respiratory disease, with 80% of patients presenting mild like flu-like symptoms; however, 20% of patients may have a severe or critical clinical presentation, which likely causes multiple organ injuries (e.g., kidney, heart, blood, and nervous system). Among them, acute kidney injury (AKI) is a critical complication due to its high incidence and mortality rate. Here we present a review of the current understanding of AKI in COVID-19.
Summary:
CO-VID-19 is a catastrophic contagious disease caused by the coronavirus, and the AKI induced by COVID-19 significantly increases the mortality rate. In this review, we summarize the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 induced AKI by focusing on its epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical diagnosis, and treatment.
Key Messages:
Multiple studies have shown that COVID-19 may involve the kidneys and cause AKI. This article reviews the characteristics of COVID-19-induced AKI largely based on up-to-date studies in the hope that it will be helpful in the current global fight against and treatment of COVID-19.
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