Acute Kidney Injury and Kidney Damage in COVID-19 Patients

• DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2020.35.e257
• Publication Date: 2020-07-08T08:23:16Z
• Authors: Ki Ryang Na; Hae Ri Kim; Youngrok Ham; Dae Eun Choi; Kang Wook Lee; Jae Young Moon; Yeon-Sook Kim; Shinhye Cheon; Kyung Mok Sohn; Jungok Kim; Sungmin Kim; Hyeongseok Jeong; Jae Wan Jeon
• Keywords: Male; Pneumonia, Viral; Kidney Function Tests; Betacoronavirus; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Albumins; Republic of Korea; Albuminuria; Humans; Pandemics; Aged; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Acute Kidney Injury; Middle Aged; 6. Clean water; 3. Good health; Proteinuria; Creatinine; Original Article; Female; Coronavirus Infections; Glomerular Filtration Rate

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. This disease, which is quickly spreading worldwide, has high potential for infection and causes rapid progression of lung lesions, resulting in a high mortality rate. This study aimed to investigate the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on renal function in patients with COVID-19.From February 21 to April 24, 2020, 66 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 at Chungnam National University Hospital were analyzed; all patients underwent routine urinalysis and were tested for serum creatinine, urine protein to creatinine ratio (PCR), and urine albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR).Acute kidney injury (AKI) occurred in 3 (4.5%) of the 66 patients, and 1 patient with AKI stage 3 underwent hemodialysis. Upon follow-up, all 3 patients recovered normal renal function. Compared with patients with mild COVID-19, AKI (n = 3) occurred in patients with severe COVID-19, of whom both urine PCR and ACR were markedly increased.The incidence of AKI was not high in COVID-19 patients. The lower mortality rate in SARS-CoV-2 infection compared with previous Middle East respiratory syndrome and SARS-CoV infections is thought to be associated with a low incidence of dysfunction in organs other than the lungs.