The type of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with COVID-19 is complex and includes factors not typically seen in an AKI patient, such as the possible invasion of the kidneys by the coronavirus, the tendency to form blood clots and the formation of active mediators of inflammation.
Kidney Failure Often a COVID-19 Complication
MONDAY, May 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Many COVID-19 patients are at risk for acute kidney failure, according to a new study.
Acute kidney failure -- also called acute kidney injury (AKI) -- is a serious complication of COVID-19 that's underreported and not well understood, the Northwestern University researchers said.
The death rate for patients with severe acute kidney failure is about 50%, they noted.
"Patients in the hospital with COVID-19, and especially those in the ICU, are at risk for AKI, perhaps as many as 25% to 30%," said lead author Dr. Daniel Batlle, a professor of medicine and a kidney specialist at Northwestern, in Chicago.