Savas Ozturk, Kenan Turgutalp, Mustafa Arici, Numan Gorgulu, Halil Zeki Tonbul, Necmi Eren, Vedat Gencer, Deniz Ayli, Irem Pembegul, Murside Esra Dolarslan, Zeynep Ural, Hulya Colak, Tuba Elif Ozler, Ozgur Can, Mehmet Emin Demir, Orcun Altunoren, Bulent Huddam, Kursad Onec, Bülent Demirelli, Zeki Aydin, Eda Altun, Selma Alagoz, Yavuz Ayar, Zeynep Ebru Eser, Bayram Berktaş, Zulfukar Yilmaz, Eser Uslu Ates, Enver Yuksel, Gizem Kumru Sahin, Merve Aktar, Egemen Cebeci, Belda Dursun, Sibel Yucel Kocak, Abdulmecit Yildiz, Sinan Kazan, Mahmut Gok, Sengul Erkan, Murat Tugcu, Ramazan Ozturk, Serdar Kahvecioglu, Ekrem Kara, Bulent Kaya, Garip Sahin, Tamer Sakaci, Savas Sipahi, Ilhan Kurultak, Beyza Algül Durak, Mehmet Riza Altiparmak, Sabahat Alisir Ecder, Serhat Karadag, Mevlut Tamer Dincer, Hakan Ozer, Sibel Bek, Sena Ulu, Ozkan Gungor, Elif Ari Bakir, Ali Riza Odabas, Nurhan Seyahi, Alaattin Yildiz, and Kenan Ateş
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Haemodialysis (HD) patients are at increased risk for adverse short-term consequences of COVID-19. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of chronic HD patients in the post-COVID-19 period and compared them with the control group. METHOD We conducted a national multicentre observational study involving adult chronic HD patients recovering from COVID-19. The control HD group was selected from patients with similar characteristics who did not have COVID-19 in the same center. SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR negative patients and patients in the active period of COVID-19 were not included. RESULTS A total of 1223 patients (635 COVID-19 groups, 588 control groups) were included in the study from the data collected from 47 centres between 21 April 2021 and 11 June 2021. The patients' baseline demographics, comorbidities, medications, HD characteristics and basic laboratory tests were quite similar between the groups (Table 1). 28th-day mortality and between 28th day and 90th day mortality were higher in the COVID-19 group than in the control group [19 (3.0%) patients and 0 (0%) patients; 15 (2.4%) patients and 4 (0.7%) patients, respectively]. Presence of respiratory symptoms, rehospitalization, need for home oxygen therapy, lower respiratory tract infection and A-V fistula thrombosis were significantly higher in the COVID-19 group in the first 28 days of illness and between 28 and 90 days. Mortality was significantly associated with preexisting COVID-19, age, current smoking, use of tunneled HD catheter, persistence of respiratory symptoms, rehospitalization, need for home oxygen support, presence of lower respiratory tract infection within 28 days and persistence of respiratory symptoms. CONCLUSION In the post-COVID-19 period, mortality, rehospitalization, respiratory problems and vascular access problems are higher in maintenance HD patients who have had COVID-19 compared to control HD patients. Table 2. Comparative presentation of patients data on the 28th day and between 28 and 90 day COVID-19 groupN = 635 Control groupN = 588 28th-day results, n(%) Death* 19(3.0) 0(0) Any respiratory symptoms* 152(23.9) 11(1.9) Rehospitalization for any reason* 52(8.2) 24(4.1) Need for home oxygen support * 26(4.1) 2(0.3) Lower respiratory tract infection* 65(10.2) 8(1.4) AV fistula thrombosis* 13(2.0) 2(0.3) Other thromboembolic events * 15(2.4) 4(0.7) Need for HD catheter placement* 21(3.3) 9(1.5) 28th day-90. day resultsa n(%) N:616 N:588 Death* 15(2.4) 4(0.7) Any respiratory symptoms* 45(7.3) 10(1.7) Rehospitalization for any reason* 44(7.1) 18(3.1) Need for home oxygen support* 12(1.9) 2(0.3) AV fistula thrombosis* 9(1.5) 1(0.2) Other thromboembolic events* 9(1.5) 2(0.3) Need for HD catheter placement 13(2.1) 10(1.7) HD: haemodialysis, AV: arteriovenous. *P