Clinical Characteristics and Early Outcome of COVID-19 Infection in Hemodialysis Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objectives: A new strain of Coronavirus was identified in late 2019, resulting in an acute respiratory illness, Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19), with variable outcomes, including mortality risk.As hemodialysis patients are a vulnerable group, we aimed this study to report the clinical characteristics and results of this infection in this particular group of patients, along with their predictive risk factors.Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted at King Abdul-Aziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.We aimed to investigate the clinical presentations and outcomes of COVID-19 infection among hemodialysis patients.Results: Among the 91 patients, 32 (35%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 25-45 %) developed pneumonia, 23 (25%; 95% CI 16-34%) had hypoxia, 13 (14%; 95% CI 7-22%) were admitted to the intensive care unit, and 8 (9%; 95% CI 3-15%) died.The period analysis suggested a lower rate of pneumonia with more recent COVID-19 infections (beyond January 2022).The most common presenting symptom was fever in 42 patients (46%).Pneumonia developed in 35% of patients, while 25% formed hypoxia. Conclusion:In our study, the related mortality rate was 9%, compared to 8% in non-dialysis patients reported from the same institution.The reported mortality rate in our cohort is low compared to other studies conducted nationally and internationally; the lower mortality rate in our study could be attributed to a milder disease at the time of presentation, the protocol we implemented, and the availability of resources for management.