Acute Kidney Injury Incidence, Stage, and Recovery in Patients with COVID-19.

Purpose: To determine the incidence, mortality, stage, and recovery of acute kidney injury (AKI) in COVID-19 patients and further analyze the effect of patient demographics and comorbidities on AKI incidence. Study Design: Our study looked at 1545 charts of patients over 18 years old who presented to BronxCare Hospital in NY with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test. Using the KDIGO criteria, any patient presenting with a creatinine of 1.5 times the baseline or that had an increase in creatinine of 0.3mg/dL in 48 hours was diagnosed with AKI. Pregnant patients, patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and patients with a history of renal transplant were excluded. Results: The incidence of AKI in COVID-19 patients was 39% (608), and the mortality rate was 58.2% (354). Of the 254 survivors, 74.8% recovered. Moreover, 42.6% (259) of patients with AKI were admitted to the ICU. Twenty-six of our patients received hemodialysis during admission. There was a statistically significant association between AKI and age, race, hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus (DM), hepatitis C (HCV), congestive heart failure (CHF), CKD, patient outcome, and days spent in the hospital. Of the 608 patients with AKI, 294 (48.4%), 185 (30.4%) and 129 (21.2%) had AKI stage 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Conclusion: Early resource planning is necessary when admitting COVID-19 patients. Nephrology should be consulted early, and measures should be in place to optimize outpatient follow-up in the nephrology clinic. Lastly, the use of nephrotoxic agents should be carefully considered and, if possible, avoided from the time of admission in patients with COVID-19.

Association of smoking status with outcomes in hospitalised patients with COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION: Smoking causes inflammation of the lung epithelium by releasing cytokines and impairing mucociliary clearance. Some studies have linked smoking with severity of illness of COVID-19 whereas others have found no such association. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of all adults hospitalised with COVID-19 from 9 March to 18 May 2020. RESULTS: 1173 patients met the study criteria. 837 patients never smoked whereas 336 patients were either current smokers or past smoker and were grouped together in smokers group. Patients in smokers group were more likely to be male and had higher incidence of underlying chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (19% vs 6%, p<0.001), HIV infection (11% vs 5%,p<0.001), cancer (11% vs 6%, p=0.005), congestive heart failure (15% vs 8%, p<0.001), coronary artery disease (15% vs 9%, p=0.3), chronic kidney disease (11% vs 8%, p=0.037) and end-stage renal disease (10% vs 6%, p=0.009) compared with non-smokers. Outcome analysis showed that smokers were more likely to develop critical illness requiring mechanical ventilation (47% vs 37% p=0.005). Univariate Cox model for survival analysis by smoking status showed that among smokers only current smokers had higher risk of death compared with never smokers (HR 1.61, 95% CI 1.22 to 2.12, p<0.001). In the multivariate approach, Cox model for the survival, female sex, young age, low serum lactate dehydrogenase and systemic steroid use were associated with overall improved survival. CONCLUSION: In our large single-centre retrospective database of patients hospitalised with COVID-19, smoking was associated with development of critical illness and higher likelihood of death.