COVID-19-Related AKI and Mortality Rates Among Patients ≥80 Years of Age

The landscape of global public health has been reshaped by the COVID-19 pandemic. There are variations in the incidence and severity of adverse clinical outcomes among patients infected with the virus. Alfredo Caturano, MD, and colleagues in Italy conducted a study aimed at examining the specific impact of acute kidney injury (AKI) on in-hospital mortality among octogenarian patients with COVID-19. 

The prospective observational cohort study included 23 COVID-19 hospital units in the Campania region in Italy. Exposure variables were collected during hospital admission and at discharge. Eligible patients were ≥80 years of age. 

The study cohort included 197 patients; median age was 83.0 years, 51.5% were men, and median duration of hospitalization was 15.0 days. Following application of Šidák correction, results of the multivariable Cox regression analysis demonstrated that only the respiratory rate (hazard ratio [HR], 1.09; 95% CI, 1.04-1.14; P<.001) and development of AKI (HR, 3.40; 95% CI, 1.80-6.40; P<.001) were independently associated with the primary outcome of in-hospital mortality. In Kaplan-Meier analysis, there was a significantly different risk of in-hospital mortality between patients with and without AKI (log-rank: <.0001). 

“In our investigation, we identified a significant association between AKI and mortality rates among octogenarian patients admitted for COVID-19,” the authors said. “These findings raise notable concerns and emphasize the imperative for vigilant monitoring of this demographic cohort.” 

Source: Life