COVID-19-related mortality in kidney transplant and dialysis patients: Results of the ERACODA collaboration

Luuk B. Hilbrands, Raphal Duivenvoorden, Priya Vart, Casper F.M. Franssen, Marc H. Hemmelder, Kitty J. Jager, Lyanne M. Kieneker, Marlies Noordzij, Michelle J. Pena, Hanne de Vries, David Arroyo, Adrian Covic, Marta Crespo, Eric Goffin, Mahmud Islam, Ziad A. Massy, Nuria Montero, João P. Oliveira, Ana Roca Muñoz, J. Emilio SanchezSivakumar Sridharan, Rebecca Winzeler, Ron T. Gansevoort*, Jeroen B. van der Net, Marie Essig, Peggy W.G. du Buf-Vereijken, Betty van Ginneken, Nanda Maas, Liffert Vogt, Birgit C. van Jaarsveld, Frederike J. Bemelman, Farah Klingenberg-Salahova, Frederiek Heenan-Vos, Marc G. Vervloet, Azam Nurmohamed, Daniel Abramowicz, Sabine Verhofstede, Omar Maoujoud, Jana Fialova, Edoardo Melilli, Alex Favà, Josep M. Cruzado, Joy Lips, Maaike Hengst, Ryszard Gellert, Andrzej Rydzewski, Daniela G. Alferes, Ivan Rychlik, Elena V. Zakharova, Patrice Max Ambuehl, ERACODA Collaborators, Franciscus van der Sande, Martinus Christiaans

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Background. Patients on kidney replacement therapy comprise a vulnerable population and may be at increased risk of death from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Currently, only limited data are available on outcomes in this patient population. Methods. We set up the ERACODA (European Renal Association COVID-19 Database) database, which is specifically designed to prospectively collect detailed data on kidney transplant and dialysis patients with COVID-19. For this analysis, patients were included who presented between 1 February and 1 May 2020 and had complete information available on the primary outcome parameter, 28-day mortality. Results. Of the 1073 patients enrolled, 305 (28%) were kidney transplant and 768 (72%) dialysis patients with a mean age of 60 6 13 and 67 6 14 years, respectively. The 28-day probability of death was 21.3% [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 14.3–30.2%] in kidney transplant and 25.0% (95% CI 20.2–30.0%) in dialysis patients. Mortality was primarily associated with advanced age in kidney transplant patients, and with age and frailty in dialysis patients. After adjusting for sex, age and frailty, in-hospital mortality did not significantly differ between transplant and dialysis patients [hazard ratio (HR) 0.81, 95% CI 0.59–1.10, P ¼ 0.18]. In the subset of dialysis patients who were a candidate for transplantation (n ¼ 148), 8 patients died within 28 days, as compared with 7 deaths in 23 patients who underwent a kidney transplantation <1 year before presentation (HR adjusted for sex, age and frailty 0.20, 95% CI 0.07–0.56, P < 0.01). Conclusions. The 28-day case-fatality rate is high in patients on kidney replacement therapy with COVID-19 and is primarily driven by the risk factors age and frailty. Furthermore, in the first year after kidney transplantation, patients may be at increased risk of COVID-19-related mortality as compared with dialysis patients on the waiting list for transplantation. This information is important in guiding clinical decision-making, and for informing the public and healthcare authorities on the COVID-19-related mortality risk in kidney transplant and dialysis patients.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1973-1983
Number of pages11
JournalNephrology Dialysis Transplantation
Volume35
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2020

Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • Dialysis
  • Kidney
  • Mortality
  • Transplantation

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