Disease severity and renal outcomes of patients with chronic kidney disease infected with COVID-19

Introduction: While there is evidence of the presence of the coronavirus in the kidneys and resultant acute kidney injury (AKI), information on the effect of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on COVID-19 outcomes and its pathogenesis is currently lacking. Methods: This retrospective, observational study evaluated the outcomes of all consecutive patients hospitalized during COVID-19 outbreaks in Meir Medical Center. Serum creatinine level was assessed before hospitalization (“baseline serum creatinine”) and at admission, as well as minimum and maximum serum creatinine levels during hospitalization. Results: Among 658 patients, 152 had eGFR < 60 ml/min (termed the CKD group), 506 patients served as controls. Patients in the CKD group were older, with higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis. Disease severity and clinical presentation of CKD group were comparable to that of control group. Odds ratio for AKI was 5.8 (95%CI 3.8–8.7; p < 0.001) in CKD group vs. control group and 3.4 (95%CI 1.1–10.8) for renal replacement therapy (p < 0.026). Among the CKD group, 32.2% died after COVID-19 infection versus 14.8% of the controls (p < 0.001). Mortality increased as CKD stage increased (14.8% in controls, 29.6% in CKD stage 3, and 39.3% in CKD stages 4 and 5, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Despite comparable disease severity at presentation, patients with CKD had significantly more AKI events and required more renal replacement therapy during hospitalization than control patients did. Mortality increased as CKD stage increased.