Bronx, NY, the first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was admitted on March 11, 2020. At the height of the pandemic, there were 855 patients with COVID-19 admitted on April 13, 2020. Due to high demand for dialysis and shortages of staff and supplies, we started an urgent peritoneal dialysis (PD) program. From April 1 to April 22, a total of 30 patients were started on PD. Of those 30 patients, 14 died during their hospitalization, 8 were discharged, and 8 were still hospitalized as of May 14, 2020. Although the PD program was successful in its ability to provide much-needed kidney replacement therapy when hemodialysis was not available, challenges to delivering adequate PD dosage included difficulties providing nurse training and availability of supplies. Providing adequate clearance and ultrafiltration for patients in intensive care units was especially difficult due to the high prevalence of a hypercatabolic state, volume overload, and prone positioning. PD was more easily performed in non-critically ill patients outside the intensive care unit. Despite these challenges, we demonstrate that urgent PD is a feasible alternative to hemodialysis in situations with critical resource shortages. Complete author and article information provided before references.

To demonstrate feasibility of acute peritoneal dialysis (PD) for acute kidney injury during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we performed a multicenter, retrospective, observational study of 94 patients who received acute PD in New York City in the Spring of 2020. Patient comorbidities, severity of disease, laboratory values, kidney replacement therapy (KRT), and patient outcomes were recorded. Mean age was 61±11 years; 34% were women; 94% had confirmed COVID-19; 32% required mechanical ventilation on admission. Compared to the levels prior to initiation of KRT, mean serum potassium decreased from 5.1±0.9 to 4.5±0.7 on PD Day 3 and 4.2±0.6 mEq/L on Day 7 (p<0.001 for both); mean serum bicarbonate increased from 20±4 to 21±4 on PD Day 3 (p=0.002) and 24±4 mEq/L on Day 7 (p<0.001). After a median follow up of 30 days, 46% patients died and 22% had renal recovery. Male sex and mechanical ventilation on admission were significant predictors of mortality. The rapid implementation of an acute PD program was feasible despite resource constraints and can be lifesaving during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unusual clinical course Background:Listeria monocytogenes is known to cause meningitis, bacteremia, and rhabdomyolysis, typically associated with acute kidney injury. We present the case of a young woman who developed severe rhabdomyolysis without kidney failure in the setting of listeriosis. Case Report:A 22-year-old woman with a past medical history of type 1 diabetes mellitus presented with fever, headache, and vomiting. Initial blood work revealed a white blood cell count of 22 K/µL, creatine phosphokinase (CPK) level of 275 U/L, blood urea nitrogen of 9 mg/dL, and creatinine of 0.89 mg/dL. A lumbar puncture (LP) was performed and was positive for Listeria monocytogenes. Her initial point-of-care ultrasound demonstrated hyperdynamic left ventricular (LV) function. Although she was immediately started on empiric coverage for bacterial and viral meningitis with intravenous vancomycin, ceftriaxone, and acyclovir, the antimicrobial regimen was changed to ampicillin and gentamicin after the LP results were obtained. On the second hospital day, a repeat echocardiogram demonstrated a dilated LV with severely reduced function with an ejection fraction (EF) of 30%. Her CPK increased and peaked at 299 637 U/L by day 6. Despite the low EF and elevated CPK, her kidney function remained at baseline at all times. Her EF improved to 60% by hospital day 20. She received large volumes of intravenous fluids, completed a 3-week course of ampicillin, continued to improve, and was discharged to a rehabilitation facility with no deficits. Conclusions:Listeria infection can be associated with severe rhabdomyolysis, which is usually associated with kidney dysfunction. Administration of large volumes of intravenous fluids may decrease this likelihood.