Changing epidemiology of acute kidney injury in critically ill patients with COVID-19: a prospective cohort

Abstract

Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in critically ill patients with coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). We aimed to explore the changes in AKI epidemiology between the first and the second COVID wave in the United Kingdom (UK). Methods This was an observational study of critically ill adult patients with COVID-19 in an expanded tertiary care intensive care unit (ICU) in London, UK. Baseline characteristics, organ support, COVID-19 treatments, and patient and kidney outcomes up to 90 days after discharge from hospital were compared. Results A total of 772 patients were included in the final analysis (68% male, mean age 56 ± 13.6). Compared with wave 1, patients in wave 2 were older, had higher body mass index and clinical frailty score, but lower baseline serum creatinine and C-reactive protein (CRP). The proportion of patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation (MV) on ICU admission was lower in wave 2 (61% vs 80%; p < 0.001). AKI incidence within 14 days of ICU admission was 76% in wave 1 and 51% in wave 2 (p < 0.001); in wave 1, 32% received KRT compared with 13% in wave 2 (p < 0.001). Patients in wave 2 had significantly lower daily cumulative fluid balance (FB) than in wave 1. Fewer patients were dialysis dependent at 90 days in wave 2 (1% vs. 4%; p < 0.001). Conclusions In critically ill adult patients admitted to ICU with COVID-19, the risk of AKI and receipt of KRT significantly declined in the second wave. The trend was associated with less MV, lower PEEP and lower cumulative FB. Trial registration: NCT04445259.

Epidemiology and Outcome of Early-Onset Acute Kidney Injury and Recovery in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Analysis

“…We observed a higher rate of patients with non-renal recovery ≥7 days in our cohort. We cannot exclude that these discrepancies were partly due to differences in the definition of renal recovery: we used normalization of SCr while Lumlertgul et al used SCr < 1.5 times baseline value, a more sensitive definition [ 48 ]. Additionally, our study shows that patients who made a rapid renal recovery had a better prognosis since AKD was associated with increased mortality at 90 days and mortality was strongly associated with initial AKI stage.…”

Critically ill patients with COVID-19-associated acute kidney injury treated with kidney replacement therapy: Comparison between the first and second pandemic waves in São Paulo, Brazil

“…A study from Ontario, Canada, showed that second-wave patients who developed COVID-19-associated AKI and required KRT, compared with first-wave ones, were older, had more comorbidities and initiated KRT later after the beginning of COVID-19 symptomatology [20]. A single-center study in England found a lower risk of AKI and need for KRT in the second wave, although these patients were older and had higher frailty scores [21].…”