Frequency and Risk Factors for Acute Kidney Injury in patients with COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Infectious Diseases
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) has been associated with various complications, including kidney injury.
• Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is a significant concern in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, potentially increasing morbidity and mortality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) in patients with COVID-19.
• To identify the underlying risk factors associated with AKI development in this patient population.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study analyzed medical records of 176 patients admitted to a COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) between April and June 2020.
• COVID-19 diagnosis was confirmed via RT-PCR. AKI was defined as an increase in serum creatinine (sCr) of ≥ 0.3 mg/dl from baseline.
• Data collected included demographics, clinical status, and laboratory results at admission.

Main Results:

• The study included 176 patients, with a mean age of 51.26 years; 78.4% were male.
• The overall frequency of AKI among COVID-19 patients was 51.1%.
• Significant risk factors for AKI included increasing age (OR=2.10), COVID-19 symptoms (OR=6.62), prolonged hospital stay (OR=2.26), hypoxemia (OR=5.98), leukocytosis (OR=2.91), lymphopenia (OR=5.77), hypoalbuminemia (OR=4.94), elevated CRP (OR=6.20), and raised D-dimers (OR=3.16). Diabetes Mellitus showed a trend towards significance (OR=1.81).

Conclusions:

• AKI affects approximately half of COVID-19 patients.
• Key risk factors for AKI in COVID-19 patients are increasing age, prolonged hospital stay, hypoxemia, hypoalbuminemia, diabetes mellitus, and elevated inflammatory markers.