Fluid Resuscitation and Progression to Renal Replacement Therapy in Patients With COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with respiratory symptoms and renal effects. Data regarding fluid resuscitation and kidney injury in COVID-19 are lacking, and understanding this relationship is critical. OBJECTIVES: To determine if there is an association between fluid volume administered in 24 h and development of renal failure in COVID-19 patients. METHODS: Retrospective chart review; 14 hospitals in Indiana. Included patients were adults admitted between March 11, 2020 and April 13, 2020 with a positive test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 within 3 days of admission. Patients requiring renal replacement therapy prior to admission were excluded. Volumes and types of resuscitative intravenous fluids in the first 24 h were obtained with demographics, medical history, and other objective data. The primary outcome was initiation of renal replacement therapy. Logistic regression modeling was utilized in creating multivariate models for determining factors associated with the primary outcome. RESULTS: The fluid volume received in the first 24 h after hospital admission was associated with initiation of renal replacement therapy in two different multivariate logistic regression models. An odds ratio of 1.42 (95% confidence interval 1.01-1.99) was observed when adjusting for age, heart failure, obesity, creatinine, bicarbonate, and total fluid volume. An odds ratio of 1.45 (95% confidence interval 1.02-2.05) was observed when variables significant in univariate analysis were adjusted for. CONCLUSIONS: Each liter of intravenous fluid administered to patients with COVID-19 in the first 24 h of presentation was independently associated with an increased risk for initiation of renal replacement therapy, supporting judicious fluid administration in patients with this disease.

Can we predict which COVID-19 patients will need transfer to intensive care within 24 hours of floor admission?

BACKGROUND: Patients with COVID-19 can present to the emergency department (ED) at any point during the spectrum of illness, making it difficult to predict what level of care the patient will ultimately require. Admission to a ward bed, which is subsequently upgraded within hours to an intensive care unit (ICU) bed, represents an inability to appropriately predict the patient's course of illness. Predicting which patients will require ICU care within 24 hours would allow admissions to be managed more appropriately. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of adults admitted to a large health care system, including 14 hospitals across the state of Indiana. Included patients were aged ≥ 18 years, were admitted to the hospital from the ED, and had a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for COVID-19. Patients directly admitted to the ICU or in whom the PCR test was obtained > 3 days after hospital admission were excluded. Extracted data points included demographics, comorbidities, ED vital signs, laboratory values, chest imaging results, and level of care on admission. The primary outcome was a combination of either death or transfer to ICU within 24 hours of admission to the hospital. Data analysis was performed by logistic regression modeling to determine a multivariable model of variables that could predict the primary outcome. RESULTS: Of the 542 included patients, 46 (10%) required transfer to ICU within 24 hours of admission. The final composite model, adjusted for age and admission location, included history of heart failure and initial oxygen saturation of <93% plus either white blood cell count > 6.4 or glomerular filtration rate < 46. The odds ratio (OR) for decompensation within 24 hours was 5.17 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.17 to 12.31) when all criteria were present. For patients without the above criteria, the OR for ICU transfer was 0.20 (95% CI = 0.09 to 0.45). CONCLUSIONS: Although our model did not perform well enough to stand alone as a decision guide, it highlights certain clinical features that are associated with increased risk of decompensation.

Characteristics of COVID-19 patients with bacterial coinfection admitted to the hospital from the emergency department in a large regional healthcare system.

INTRODUCTION: The rate of bacterial coinfection with SARS-CoV-2 is poorly defined. The decision to administer antibiotics early in the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection depends on the likelihood of bacterial coinfection. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review of all patients admitted through the emergency department with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection over a 6-week period in a large healthcare system in the United States. Blood and respiratory culture results were abstracted and adjudicated by multiple authors. The primary outcome was the rate of bacteremia. We secondarily looked to define clinical or laboratory features associated with bacteremia. RESULTS: There were 542 patients admitted with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, with an average age of 62.8 years. Of these, 395 had blood cultures performed upon admission, with six true positive results (1.1% of the total population). An additional 14 patients had positive respiratory cultures treated as true pathogens in the first 72 h. Low blood pressure and elevated white blood cell count, neutrophil count, blood urea nitrogen, and lactate were statistically significantly associated with bacteremia. Clinical outcomes were not statistically significantly different between patients with and without bacteremia. CONCLUSIONS: We found a low rate of bacteremia in patients admitted with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. In hemodynamically stable patients, routine antibiotics may not be warranted in this population.

First-time Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Type 2 Diabetics With Covid-19 Infection: A Novel Case Series.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is a novel coronavirus first diagnosed in U.S. hospitals in January 2020. Typical presenting symptoms include fever, dry cough, dyspnea, and hypoxia. However, several other symptoms have been reported, including fatigue, weakness, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. We have identified a series of patients with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) likely precipitated by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). CASE SERIES: We describe 5 patients with previously known type 2 diabetes and no history of DKA, who presented to the emergency department with new-onset DKA and COVID-19. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Diabetes mellitus is a known risk factor for poor outcomes in viral respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. Infection may precipitate DKA in patients with type 2 diabetes. Aggressive management of these patients is recommended; however, management guidelines have not yet been put forth for this unique subset of patients.