Acute kidney and liver injury could be the cause of death in patients
with COVID-19
Abstract
We evaluated the increase in the risk of developing acute kidney and
hepatic injury. Moreover, we investigate the association between kidney
and liver biomarkers with poor prognosis and mortality rate. Methods:
This was a prospective cohort study of 397 adult patients with an
average age of 48.03 ± 14.09 were diagnosed with COVID-19 of whom, 46
(11.59%) died in hospital. The upper values of the kidney and liver
biomarkers were obtained from the recovered patients during the disease
period and are compared to the data for dead patients at admission
(Baseline) and one day before death. Results: At admission to the
hospital, the baseline S.Cr, BUN, and eGFR were not significantly varied
between recovered and dead patients. Furthermore, the baseline values
for AST, ALT, and ALP were not significantly differed between both
groups. Whereas, baseline value of total serum bilirubin was higher in
died compared to the recovered patients. For dead patients, the day
before death, 52.17% of the patients had progressed to stage III and
stage IV AKI. S.Cr and BUN were significantly higher, and eGFR was lower
compared to the recovered patients. All of the kidney and liver function
tests were abnormally increased from baseline to the day before death.
The AST, ALT, and total bilirubin one day before death were
significantly higher compared to their baseline value. Conclusions:
COVID-19 patients have a high risk for the development of AKI and liver
injury that can be progressed to a chronic stage and increase the
mortality rate.