Factors related to mortality in patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease on dialysis with COVID-19: An exploratory case series analysis

Different studies describe the clinical profile and factors that could explain the evolution and outcome of patients with chronic kidney disease and COVID-19. This study aims to evaluate the factors related to the mortality of patients with stage-5 chronic kidney disease on chronic dialysis hospitalized for COVID-19 at the Hospital Nacional Arzobispo Loayza from April to December 2020. Retrospective case series and exploratory analysis were performed. Patients with stage-5 chronic kidney disease on dialysis, older than 18 years, and hospitalized for COVID-19 disease were included. Hospital medical records were the primary data source. A total of 105 medical records were reviewed. 57 were male (54.3%), with a mean age of 58.6 years (standard deviation: 14.3). Eighty-four patients survived (80%), and 21 died (20%). The main cause of hospital admission, present in 80 patients (76.2%), was respiratory failure; the mean hospital stay was of 11.8 days (SD: 7.8). In the bivariate analysis: patients with moderate to severe COVID-19, overweight and obesity, increased levels of leukocytes, D-dimer, ferritin, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, as well as, decreased levels of lymphocytes, bicarbonate and arterial oxygen pressure/inspired oxygen fraction were related to mortality risk. In multivariate analysis, only severe COVID-19 disease (OR 1.48; 95% CI 2.24 to 7.77), C-reactive protein > 10 mg/dL (OR: 9.72; 95% CI: 1.41 to 18.58), and arterial oxygen pressure/inspired oxygen fraction ≤ 150 millimeters of mercury (OR: 10.23; 95% CI: 5.87 to 36.06) were factors associated with poor survival. In patients with stage-5 chronic kidney disease hospitalized for COVID-19, severe COVID-19 disease, C-protein reactive levels > 10 milligrams per deciliter, arterial oxygen pressure / inspired oxygen fraction ≤ 150 millimeters of mercury and severe COVID-19 disease were the main factors related to mortality.