COVID-19 in Hemodialysis Patients: Clinical Features, Results, and Factors Associated with Mortality

Objective: Globally, coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has affected the elderly population and patients with multiple comorbid diseases.Hemodialysis (HD) patients are at risk of contracting COVID-19 due to immunosuppression caused by chronic kidney disease, advanced age, and existing comorbid diseases.We retrospectively studied the clinical characteristics of total of 121 HD patients with COVID-19.Method: A total of 121 HD patients who met the COVID-19 probable case definition were included in the study.The patients were divided into groups according to their clinical and laboratory findings: mild-moderate, severe, and critical.Subsequently, the patients were divided into classified as either survivors or nonsurvivors and their demographic and laboratory data were compared.Results: Of the 121 patients, 61 (51%) and 59 (49%) were female and male, respectively.Mean age of the patients was 61 ± 14.The most common comorbid disease among the patients was hypertension, followed by coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus.The most common complaints were cough, myalgia, and shortness of breath.Conclusion: This study contributes to literature by determining biomarkers to predict mortality due to COVID-19 infection in high-risk and vulnerable HD patient population.