This is one of the most common complications of COVID-19: if the severity of the disorder is severe, it increases the risk of death

Patients avoided doctor visits for fear of contracting a coronavirus infection. According to prof. Mr. Miglin, that fear is understandable because the immune systems of these patients are suppressed by medication, making COVID-19 disease easier to infect and more serious.

It was pointed out that the only old solution, the remote control, was not always good: “The causes of chronic kidney disease are high and uncorrected blood pressure and diabetes. Doctors, nephrologists, cardiologists, endocrinologists, and family physicians tried to consult patients and monitor their treatment remotely, but this was not always possible: some patients “interrupted” control completely, missed visits, did not perform tests, and they did not correct the disease. . For these reasons, more patients than usual may be at risk for kidney problems.

Nephrologists are experiencing so-called late cases: due to routine procedures suspended during the pandemic, patients with infections as well as catheters and fistula problems are currently being treated.

Looking at a one-year pandemic, we can see that this period also affected patients living with a kidney transplant: “There was more control over kidney rejection reactions, especially during the first wave of the pandemic (summer). This situation was determined by the fear of patients to go to medical institutions: they missed visits, corrected immunosuppressive drugs themselves, says prof. M. Miglinas. “Now that transplant and dialysis patients have been vaccinated, we hope this will help stop the spread of coronavirus infection among this particularly vulnerable group of patients.”

In 2020, 226 dialysis patients and 75 kidney transplant patients had coronavirus infection.

Echoes of a pandemic in the science of nephrology

As the pandemic continues, several data are published around the world on the treatment of kidney disease, dialysis and kidney transplant patients due to coronavirus infection, mortality statistics, and possible adjustments to treatment with immunosuppressive drugs. Kidney disease is one of the most common complications of COVID-19.

Even in patients without kidney disease, one in ten patients after coronavirus infection has problems with these organs. If the severity of the disorder is severe, dialysis is needed, which increases the risk of death.

“Acute kidney damage is not only a common and threatening complication of COVID-19 with the risk of death, but also once the disease is overcome, kidney function does not always resume and irreversible kidney damage remains. The number of patients with chronic kidney diseases is expected to increase ”, concludes prof. M. Miglinas.

March 11 World Kidney Day is celebrated. Today, much attention is paid to a particularly sensitive group of patients: hemodialysis patients. Teacher. Miglin says these patients inevitably had to come into contact with staff and other patients during the pandemic because visits to dialysis procedures are necessary three times a week. “The good news is that medical science is looking for ways to change models of care for dialysis patients to have more therapies at home to avoid contact, so there will undoubtedly be an increase in peritoneal dialysis at home.” says prof. M. Miglinas.

Home dialysis (peritoneal dialysis in Lithuania) not only avoids travel and procedures at the dialysis center. This has been shown to preserve residual kidney function for longer, reduce dietary restrictions, and improve parameters after kidney transplantation. Patients can travel freely and remain socially active, so after quarantine, home isolation will return them to a full life.