Kidney Transplant Recipients Infected With Coronavirus Disease 2019: Retrospective Qatar Experience

Factors Associated with COVID-19 Severity Among Kidney Transplant and Non-Kidney Transplant Patients at St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background

The COVID-19 epidemic is a rapidly shifting situation that has resulted in significant regulatory reforms and widespread initiatives to deal with the initial crisis and its effects. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on transplantation activities. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused various important challenges in the kidney transplant industry.

Objective

To identify the factors influencing COVID-19 severity in kidney transplant and non-kidney transplant patients at St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Methods

A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted. This study included 364 patients (182 kidney transplants and 182 non-kidney transplants). A systematic random sampling was used to select the respondents. Professional nurses collected data for this study using a data extraction tools. Data were analyzed by using SPSS version 25 software. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the association between independent variables and COVID-19 severity with adjusted odds ratio (AOR), and 95% CI for AOR and P-value for testing significance.

Results

This study included 364 patients. Off the total, 34.1% developed severe COVID-19. In Multivariable logistic regression analysis, patients with 60 years and above age groups (AOR = 4.73; 95% CI: 1.86, 12.02), aged 40-59 years (AOR = 2.70; 95% CI: 1.17, 6.22), chest congestion (AOR = 4.49; 95% CI: 2.37, 8.50), history of muscle or body aches (AOR = 0.47; 95% CI: 0.22, 0.99) shortness of breath (AOR = 3.03; 95% CI: 1.36, 6.74), changed or lost sense of taste or smell (AOR = 2.77; 95% CI: 1.34, 5.71), and muscle pain (AOR = 3.05; 95% CI: 1.40, 6.65) were significant variables associated with COVID-19 severity after adjusting for other variables.

Conclusion

The study revealed that 34.1% of patients had severe COVID-19. The majority of these patients underwent non-kidney transplants. Age groups and symptoms, such as chest congestion, shortness of breath, changed or lost sense of taste or smell, and muscle pain, were significant predictors of COVID-19 disease severity.

The Outcome of COVID-19 Infection on Kidney Transplantation Recipients in Southern Saudi Arabia: Single-Center Experience

BACKGROUND

To report the incidence, risk factors, and outcome of severe COVID-19 disease in kidney transplant recipients attending a Saudi hospital at a single center in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

A retrospective chart-based cohort study involving all kidney transplant recipients tested for COVID-19 in the Armed Forces Hospital Southern Region, KSA.

RESULTS

Of 532 kidney transplant recipients who reported to the center, from March 2020 to June 2022, 180 were tested for COVID-19. Of these recipients, 31 (17%) tested positive. Among the 31 positive recipients, 11 were treated at home, 15 were admitted to the noncritical isolation ward, and 5 were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Older age (P = .0001), higher body mass index (P = .0001), and history of hypertension (P = .0023) were more frequent in the COVID-19-positive recipients. Admission to the ICU was more frequent in older recipients (P = .0322) with a history of ischemic heart disease (P = .06) and higher creatinine baseline (P = .08) presenting with dyspnea (P = .0174), and acute allograft dysfunction (P = .002). In the ICU group, 4 (80%) patients required hemodialysis, and 4 (80%) died.

CONCLUSIONS

Kidney transplant recipients with COVID-19 could have a higher risk for developing acute kidney injury, dialysis, and mortality than the general population. ICU admission and renal replacement therapy were more evident in older recipients with a history of ischemic heart disease, presenting with shortness of breath (P = .017) and a higher serum creatinine baseline. Acute allograft dysfunction was the independent predictor of mortality among patients admitted to the ICU.