Renal transplant waiting list mortality in COVID era: is it advisable to halt transplant activity?

Kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Since March 2020, transplant activity in Mexico has been affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The aim of the study was to determine the impact on mortality of patients on the waiting list (WL) for cadaveric donor kidney transplantation in a referral hospital in Yucatán, due to suspension of activities due to the pandemic.

Patients over 18 years of age on the waiting list for kidney transplantation at this hospital. In the event of a patient's death, the cause was investigated, especially if it was associated with COVID-19. A two-tailed p ≤ 0.05 was considered significant in all analyzes.

The odds ratio (OR) of death from COVID-19 in a patient with ESRD in the WL in 2020 was OR = 5.04 (95% CI: 1.65-7.14, p = 0.023). The OR of dying with ESRD in the WL with a delay in the follow-up visits was OR = 6.59 (95% CI: 2.7-16.28, p = 0.008).

The probability of death of a patient with ESRD with delayed follow-up visits and transplant retention is statistically higher than the probability of death from COVID-19.