Risk factors for severity of COVID-19 in chronic dialysis patients from a multicentre French cohort.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging infectious disease, related to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. Few data are available in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). METHODS: We conducted an observational cohort study of COVID-19 patients at 11 dialysis centres in two distinct districts of France to examine the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 in this population, and to determine risk factors of disease severity (defined as a composite outcome including intensive care unit admission or death) and mortality. RESULTS: Among the 2336 patients enrolled, 5.5% had confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis. Of the 122 patients with a follow-up superior to 28 days, 37% reached the composite outcome and 28% died. Multivariate analysis showed that oxygen therapy on diagnosis and a decrease in lymphocyte count were independent risk factors associated with disease severity and with mortality. Chronic use of angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) (18% of patients) was associated with a protective effect on mortality. Treatment with azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine (AZT/HCQ) (46% of patients) were not associated with the composite outcome and with death in univariate and multivariate analyses. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 is a severe disease with poor prognosis in patients with ESRD. Usual treatment with ARBs seems to be protective of critical evolution and mortality. There is no evidence of clinical benefit with the combination of AZT/HCQ.

What is the value of Tc-99m hydroxymethylene diphosphonate scintigraphy for the etiological diagnosis of mild rhabdomyolysis?

AIMS: We tested whether bone scintigraphy could help in the etiological diagnosis in patients with mild rhabdomyolysis, because different patterns of soft tissue radiotracer uptake have been found on bone scintigraphy in patients presenting with severe rhabdomyolysis, with a localized asymmetric pattern in traumatic lesions and a more diffuse and symmetric pattern in nontraumatic lesions. However, the performance of bone scintigraphy in mild rhabdomyolysis is unknown. The etiological diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis can be difficult, particularly in alcohol abusers who deny a recent alcoholic binge. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Bone scintigraphy was performed in 16 patients presenting with acute renal failure secondary to mild rhabdomyolysis (creatinine kinase levels < or =36,000 IU), with obvious causes in 10 cases and with uncertain etiologies in the remaining 6 patients. RESULTS: In 5 cases with evident traumatic rhabdomyolysis, and in 4 patients with uncertain etiologies, bone scintigraphy showed localized asymmetric soft tissue radiopharmaceutical uptake compatible with traumatic lesions. None of the 5 patients with nontraumatic rhabdomyolysis had significant soft tissue radiopharmaceutical uptake. In 1 patient with traumatic rhabdomyolysis, bone scintigraphy performed only 11 days after the initial insult was negative. One patient with an uncertain etiology also had a negative scintigraphy. CONCLUSIONS: Bone scintigraphy, when performed early in the course of the disease, may contribute to the etiological diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis if it shows asymmetric localized soft tissue radiopharmaceutical uptake compatible with traumatic lesions. However, bone scintigraphy is often negative in mild nontraumatic lesions.