Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 4, 2025
A Retrograde Implantation Approach for Peritoneal Dialysis Catheter Placement in Mice
Published on: July 20, 2022
Long-term impact of COVID-19 among maintenance haemodialysis patients
Sylvain Chawki1, Albert Buchard2, Hamza Sakhi3,4
1Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité U944, Université de Paris, Paris, France.
Insights
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses significant long-term risks for maintenance haemodialysis (MHD) patients, including severe cachexia. This study highlights the initial and prolonged severity of COVID-19 in this vulnerable population.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Infectious Diseases
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Maintenance haemodialysis (MHD) patients face high mortality risks from COVID-19.
- Long-term outcomes of COVID-19 in MHD patients remain under-described.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the clinical presentation, outcomes, and long-term follow-up of MHD patients with COVID-19.
- To investigate the initial and long-term severity of COVID-19 in this cohort.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 248 MHD patients diagnosed with COVID-19 across 19 centers in the Paris, France area.
- Long-term follow-up (median 180 days) was conducted on surviving patients.
Main Results:
- Initial mortality rate was 18%, with age, comorbidities, dyspnea, and prior immunosuppression as risk factors.
- Among survivors, 16% experienced major adverse events, including cardiovascular events, infections, and gastrointestinal bleeding.
- Post-COVID-19 cachexia affected 13% of patients, associated with lower initial albumin levels. No COVID-19 reinfections were observed.
Conclusions:
- COVID-19 has significant initial and long-term consequences for MHD patients.
- Severe cachexia is a notable long-term complication in this population.
Background:
Maintenance haemodialysis (MHD) patients have a high risk of initial mortality from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, long-term consequences of this disease in the MHD population are poorly described. We report the clinical presentation, outcome and long-term follow-up of MHD patients affected by COVID-19 in a multicentric cohort from the Paris, France area.
Methods:
We conducted a retrospective analysis of clinical presentation and long-term follow-up of MHD patients affected by COVID-19 in 19 MHD centres in the Paris, France area.
Results:
In this cohort of 248 patients with an initial mortality rate of 18%, age, comorbidities, dyspnoea and previous immunosuppressive treatment were associated with death at <30 days. Among the 203 surviving patients following the acute phase, long-term follow-up (median 180 days) was available for 189 (93%) patients. Major adverse events occurred in 30 (16%) patients during follow-up, including 12 deaths (6%) after a median of 78 days from onset of symptoms. Overall, cardiovascular events, infections and gastrointestinal bleeding were the main major adverse events. Post-COVID-19 cachexia was observed in 25/189 (13%) patients. Lower initial albuminaemia was significantly associated with this cachexia. No reinfection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was observed.
Conclusions:
This work demonstrates the long-term consequences of COVID-19 in MHD patients, highlighting both initial and long-term severity of the disease, including severe cachexia.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Hemodialysis II: Procedure and Complications
01:27Dialysis
Acute kidney injury develops suddenly and can be caused by pre-renal causes (e.g., hypovolemia, shock), intrinsic renal causes (e.g., acute tubular necrosis), or post-renal causes (e.g., urinary obstruction). In contrast, chronic renal failure progresses gradually over time and is often...
01:25Hemodialysis III: Nursing Management
01:25Peritoneal Dialysis III: Nursing Management
01:25Peritoneal Dialysis II: Peritoneal Dialysis Systems and Complications
01:24Chronic Kidney Disease II: Clinical Manifestations